Enlightenment is the noblest achievement that mankind has ever created. Its essence lies in the pursuit of objectivity and intersubjective justification. It is an elitist minority project to which large parts of humanity owe enormous benefits. Nevertheless, the end of the second Enlightenment era can currently be observed. This is due to the immense burdens of an emancipated way of life, as well as current political and sociological stress factors. These include a capitalistically reduced understanding of freedom, rising migration trends, a weakening defense of universal ethics, and an anti-racism devoid of an awareness of negative dialectics. This erosion brings about a return to the standard authoritarian models of humanity, coupled with the technical and media potential of modernity. It is time to look back in gratitude and to take a critical look at what lies ahead.