18世纪，发展商业成为各国的首要战略，为扩大市场、增加利润，重商主义盛行，国家间相互交战，强国侵压弱国，新的帝国正在成型。据此，启蒙思想家们将18世纪视作前所未有的危机时期，宗教神学的狂热主义已经转化成为现实的政治特征，应对转变的失败导致了“启蒙终结”。这种悲观理念在弗朗索瓦·费奈隆对时代弊病的批判、威廉·荷加斯的画作以及时人对法国大革命曲折进程的感知中有迹可循。在此基础上，18世纪的人们不断尝试规划未来，主要表现形式为意图改变世界的系统论著和承诺迅速实现社会或政治转型的笼统计划。丹尼尔·笛福和本杰明·富兰克林率先提出关于战争的思考，版画《时代》生动讽喻动荡的社会现实。“启蒙终结”再现了18世纪末深刻的政治困境以及时人的普遍忧虑，对此加以考察有助于推进当下的反思。

In the 18^th century, developing commerce became the primary strategy of all nations. In order to expand the market and increase profits, mercantile systems prevailed. Nations were at war with each other and the strong were suppressing the weak. The above facts contributed to the growth of a new empire. Accordingly, Enlightenment thinkers saw the 18^th century was an age of unprecedent crisis with religious fanaticism turning into actual politics, and the failure to cope with the change led to “the end of the Enlightenment”. The sense of decline was reflected in Fran?ois Fénelon’s critique of the problems of the times, as evidenced by the William Hogarth’s print, which also deepened the feeling of catastrophe of the French Revolution. Consequently, people in the 18^th century constantly attempted to plan alternative futures in systematic treatises to change the world or vague projects promising speedy social or political transformation. For example, Daniel Defoe and Benjamin Franklin offered reflections on war. The engraving of “The Times” criticized the turbulent reality in an allegorical and vivid way. Above all, ‘the end of the Enlightenment’ recreates the profound political dilemma of the late 18^th century, which implies a general anxiety of the contemporary. It is important for us today to advance thinking by examining the idea of the end of the Enlightenment.