This paper examines the purpose of the publication Braunschweigisches Journal in the context of comments provided by one of its editors, J.H. Campe, and one of its critics, C. Garve. These comments point to a contradiction with the German Enlightenment, whereby the supposed equality of all individuals was dismantled by a hidden hierarchy of editors, writers, submissive readers, and slaves to modish trends. Accordingly, this paper examines the relationship between theory and practice in the German Enlightenment as representing essentially the border between self-enlightenment and self-criticism.