近年來，啟蒙運動不再袶視為單一同質的歷史現象。本文以德意志地區的啟蒙運動為鋹栽綜合近年學界的研究成果，嘗試勾勒德意啟蒙運動的幾項特徵：基督教會與德意志啟蒙思潮的貢獻。這些經驗與典型的法國啟蒙運動大不相同。本文指出，經過術論述的累積，「啟蒙運動」這個老問題，依然深具意義，值得再討論。這種討論將促使我們重新反省「啟蒙運動」的意涵與本質。

　　　　　This essay attempts to delineate the characteristics of the Aufklarung, the German Enlightenment, through a reconsideration of the old question 'What is Enlightenment' raised firstly by German thinkers in the 1780s. it discusses the three distinct characters of the Aufklarung: the important role of the Church, both Protestant and Catholic, in its development, the close relationship of the Aufklarung with the state, and the contribution of German universities to the developing and spreading of the enlightened ideas. All these stand in sharp contrast with the classical experience of the French Enlightenment. The diversity of the European Enlightenment, and the adoption of the term "Enlightenment" by non-European civilization, like China, will force us to reflect again upon the question "What is Enlightenment?" in order to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of "Enlightenment."