Oświecenie i konieczność nowej racjonalności

The article deals with 18th century Enlightenment and its clearly anti-Christian character. However, it is impossible to understand this period without showing it in the light of Christian enlightenment whose centre is Christ – the Light of the world. On the philosophical-theological plane the most profound synthesis of Christian faith and philosophical logos is to be found in the doctrine of St. Augustine along with its theory of illumination (illuminatio). According to John Paul II, the rejection of Christ in the period of Enlightenment resembles the history of St. Paul, who was rejected on the Athenian Aeropagus when he started speaking about the risen Christ. This rejection was accomplished for the sake of an independent human reason whose complete autonomy was demanded by Kant, whereas in the philosophy of Voltaire the Enlightenment fully showed its derisively-mocking anti-Christian countenance. According to Voltaire faith should be replaced byan enlightened reason and religion by philosophy. In consequence, deism with its idea of God as the Great Clockmaker was to supplant the Christian faith. As Joseph Ratzinger noted, since the Enlightenment we have paradoxically witnessed a deepening trend of irrationalism and scepticism in the Western culture. That is why already as Benedict XVI he postulates the construction of a new rationality, which means “broadening the horizons of rationality” whose ultimate foundation is Christ-the Logos.