Modernism and Postmodernism - Essay Example

Society is in a of constant change. Francis Schaeffer in his book The God Who Is suggests that cultural paradigms shit in an orderly manner. While the voice of change comes from the philosopher, the artists then add their interpretations to it. The culture then absorbs this new wave of thought and then this thought begins to reflect in theology. This paper deals with two such popular waves of social and cultural , modernism and post-modernism which have greatly impact our way of life, our literature and even our beliefs.( Makidon ,2004). The first part of this essay will deal with the concept of modernism while the second pat will discuss the meaning of postmodernism. In the next section the focus will shift to the contribution and impact of modernism and postmodernism to our society. "Modernism signals a dialectical opposition to what is not functionally 'modern, namely 'tradition'." (Eysteinsson, 1990, pg.8). The term modernism refers to a movement that gained popularity in the closing years of the 19th century and was prevalent through the period of the world wars right upto the late 1940's. (criticalpoet website) Like any other socio-cultural movement, modernism has a great impact on the poetry, fiction, drama, painting, music and architecture of that era. The era of modernism has also been referred to as the period of 'scientific idealogy'. The ideologies of modernism were backed by scientific rationale and these scientific theories were used to expose the failing of rival beliefs. A popular example of modernist is the theory of Darwinism as against the Biblical Literalism. (Nine O'clock Service website) It was an era when people tried to break away from traditional beliefs and practices. breaking away from convention there were several experiments with news forms and styles of self expression. The website of the Nine O'clock Service quotes J.urry whi in his 'The tourist gaze: leisure and travel in contemporary societies' (1990) says Modernism ""involves structural differentiation. the separate development of a number of institutional and normative spheres; of the economy, the family, the state, science, morality, and an aesthetic realm" (p.84) The website goes on to state that the modernist sees ordered differences in all aspects of life like scientific and every day knowledge, literature and popular fiction class and mass"; "art and craft"; "education and entertainment or even serious and commercial. In terms of sociology, the modern society is said to reflect the industrialized world where technology plays an important role. The age also saw the break up of traditional communities and religious beliefs and individuals with their strength and convictions came into prominence. But modernism had its flaws. Over the years another school of thought challenged the modernists notion of truth as defined by science. This wave has been called 'post-modernism'. Historian Arnold Toynbee first used the term post-modern in 1939. A very broad based term, post modernism has come to define the beleife that there can be no absolute truth and focuses on the concept of relativity. It is a revolutionary theory that does not believe in the pursuit of truth on defined knowledge. Instead postmdernism believes that every experience is unique and temporary. (Rosenau.P, 1992, pg 26) It suggests that there are no single truths and experiences and circumstances define our understanding of truth. Post modernism too has had its impact on every walk of life. This theory came into prominence somewhere in the late 1940's and early 1950's. The idea of postmodernism is relevant in the works of thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche. His "death of God" movement propounded the theory that knowledge is interpretive with no one meaning. With the death of God Nietzsche held that moral truth was relative. The self was acclaimed as the most powerful who he termed superman. But with the rise of powerful men like Hitler and stalin who held the society to ransom, thinkers of the post war generation realized the significance of community . The collective community could hold the individual accountable and in check. (Makidon 2004). Once again the community came ino focus and the concept of democracy has gained significance. Modernity and post modernity have had a great impact on our society. This section will focus on the social aspects of these two movements. The website of the sociology department of the Hewett School highlights the key aspects of modern and postmodern societies. The modern society according to the Hewett's website, is essentially an industrialist and capitalist society where social class is the main criteria for social division. Knowledge in a modern society is based on rational and scientific thinking as against religion or superstition which played a significant role in traditional societies. Hence progress, in a modern society is determined by scientific and technological growth. Probably a consequence of economic development and industrial progress a modern society is also an urbanized one with a marked increase in the umber of cities. A powerful central Government and administration also forms a significant player in the modern society. The most significant beliefs or values of the modern society include the power of reason over ignorance, order over disorder and science over religion. The ideals of modernism have played an important role in history and the French revolution of 1789 is believed to have personified these beliefs. The age of capitalism followed the French Revolution and it heralded the beginning of a new social order. The modern age sought the emancipation of the human being from suffering, ignorance and poverty. The biggest impact of modernism was perhaps in areas like biology, astronomy and physics. Conquering diseases to progress in various spheres of activity like communication and transport was enabled by better understanding and application of science and technology. In the modern age even art is said to have found representation in architecture and engineering with massive structures like bridges, dams, highways and towers. (Gonzalez, 1999) While the era of modernism saw great leaps in scientific progress, it also saw the disintegration of traditional societies and the break up of the community. Traditional practices were often forgotten and lost in the wave of capitalism. The result was a sense of loss of belonging among people which lead to the loss of communities. Modernism was an age of mass production, mass consumption. People even believed in mass advertising. As a result people often found themselves stripped of their unique individual identity. They became one among the masses Modernism believed in the concept of meta-narratives, which were ideologies that were believed to determine the meaning and perception of truth, and life The modernist period also saw the rise of dictators like Hitler and Stalin. Their grand unifying ideologies like nazism were all products of modernism. (Nineoclockservice website)The concentration camps of Aushwitz, the Russian revolution and the world wars are all cruel reminders of the horrors of modernism. Eurocentrism, racism, third world hunger, poverty and the looming threat of a nuclear society all endorsed the need to move away from the modern society. (Burke, 2000) Following the era of modernism came what we now call the post modern era. The website of the Hewett's school describes the post modern era as one of globalization that marks the end of cultural and national borders. The society finds itself extremely fragmented with the rise of diverse cultures. In terms of industrial and corporate development, the post modern age moves away from the age of industry and manufacturing. The thrust is now on the service sector and an increasing number of people opt for flexi timings at work and even choose to work from their homes. The era also characterizes the loss of faith in science and diminishing optimism. The idea here is to celebrate chaos rather than seek order. The website goes on to state that in the postmodern society there are no Meta narratives or big theories like 'Marxism'. In this era there is no one Meta narrative but a number of truths that can enable the individual and society to fulfill desires. Lack of depth and cultural diversity are a key aspect of postmodernism and this is evident in the art and architecture of the postmodern age. (Burke, 2000) According to the Nineoclockservice website, in the postmodern era consumers and the society become marketable commodities and this belief is reinforced by the prevalent marketing system. Society can be said to be in a state of chaos similar to playing a game where there are no fixed rules. Advertisements and marketing promos are good examples of postmodern culture. The postmodern era has seen the rise of advertising and promotion. It has also brought about and interaction between different cultures. Classical Music, art and architecture are no longer elitist. These are all now made accessible to the masses as they are mixed with popular and mass culture. Hyper reality or using hype to create a new reality has resulted in Sports growing from a pastime to a product of mass consumption. Similarly classical music has been used in some cases to sell airline tickets. In this age of hype, the product loses its real significance to acquire a completely different image. Toothpaste for instance, through advertising can become a product that signifies sexiness or attractiveness. There are no universal truths in the post modern era. The society is now knowledge based. The knowledge based society that relies on effective communication technologies has at an once enabled the world become a global village and also increased the divide between the rich and the poor. There are ever widening differences between people of rich nations and developing countries that do not have access to the same information or knowledge. In countries like India , there is a growing urban rural divide. This growing divide can lead to exploitation of the underprivileged classes of society. Some large multi national companies dominate the postmodern economy and the focus is largely on the service industry. Developing countries where labour is cheap are now manufacturing hubs. There is a growing interdependence between the developed and developing worlds. Probably a consequence of this is the reduction of importance for the state. New ideas, constant change and evolution, are all key aspects of the postmodern era. This age lacks the clear order and purpose of modernism. However it allows for liberal freethinking, experimentation and growth. While it greatly relies on science and technology, it also believes in the concept of relativity. There are no absolute truths, rights or wrongs in the postmodern world. Truth is regarded as a personal experience and one man's truth need not be relevant to the other. Conclusion Modernism and postmodernism have both had a great impact on society. While modernism believed in breaking away from tradition and questioning the scientific basis for all truth, modernism takes a all embracing view of truth and reality. While there was a clear sense of purpose in the modern era, the postmodern era is driven by hyper reality and often a false sense of truth. The theories of modernism and post modernism are relevant in contemporary society. The impact of these beliefs depends largely on the attitudes of people who make up this society. While the modern society helped break away from age-old traditions and superstitions it also allowed the rise of figures like Hitler. Similarly while the postmodern era has to an extent managed to bridge the gap between the elitist and popular cultures. However in some other context it has widened the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Bibliography and References. Bertens,H.1995, The Idea of the Post Modern: A History. Routledge London Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://books.google.com/booksid=xijXY-SEb_0C&printsec=titlepage&dq=definitions+of+POstModernism+&psp=9 Burke,B, 2000, Post Modernism and Post Modernity, Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-postmd.htm#modernism Critical Poet website, Modernism, Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://thecriticalpoet.tripod.com/modernism.htm Eysteinsso,A, 1990. The Concept of Modernism, Cornell University Press London. Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://books.google.com/booksid=peKRAu4U458C&pg=PA1&lpg=PP12&dq=+Definition+of+Modernism+&psp=9&sig=Pu02WNRXFzvUb74BKam3qymZn3w Gonzalez, M, 1999,Is Modernism dead Issue 85 of International Socialism Journal. Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj85/gonzalez.htm Harvey,D. 1992, The condition of Postmodernity: an inquiry into the origins of cultural change, Blackwell Publshing, UK. Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://books.google.com/booksid=m4HyQpeE_joC&pg=PA260&lpg=PR5&dq=+Definition+of+Modernism+&psp=9&sig=KKQfVxTKOdNUxyYXlU_h2AyQAwc Makidon, MD, 2004 Postmodernism: The Death of God and the Rise of the Community Accessed on 8th November, 2006 athttp://www.faithalone.org/journal/2004i/makidon.html Nineoclockservice website. NOS a post modern cultural phenomenon Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://nineoclockservice.tripod.com/pforPoMo.htm#pmabout Rosenau.P.M, 1992, Post Modernism and the social Sciences Insights Inroads and Intrusions.. Princeton University press, Princeton, New Jeresy Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://books.google.com/booksid=iLBZzGfq8tsC&pg=PA4&lpg=PP11&dq=What+is+Modernism+&psp=9&sig=u0ETzZ7K1Y9KZEYGnrlpwApYKCo Shawver L, Hewett School Sociology department website. Accessed on 8th November, 2006 at http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/POSTMODE/postm.htm Read More