Modernism and Its Principles

Week 9: Ideology

• Ideology is a combination of "idea" and "logy"
• "Idea" refers to thoughts or sparks of thoughts
• "Logy" refers to a discipline or science of research
• Ideology is defined as the knowledge of ideas

Change in Western Ideology

• Modernism: a significant shift in Western thought, beginning in the late 1800s
• Enlightenment Project: a philosophical movement that emphasized reason, science, and progress, forming the basis for many modernist ideals.
• Modernism's characteristics include a focus on rationalism, with science serving as the primary way of understanding the world
• Postmodernism: a reaction against the perceived failures of modernism, emerging in the 1980s
• Characteristics of the Modern era include technological innovation and progress, imperialism, capitalism and consumerism
• Postmodernism rejects many of the ideas about absolute truth found in modernism
• The emergence of postmodernism signifies the end of modernism

Premodern, Modern, Postmodern

• Premodern: societies and religions centered on God
• Modern: individuals and humanity are increasingly at the center of focus
• Postmodern: rejects grand narratives

The Enlightenment Project

• The Enlightenment project emphasizes reason and science, focusing on intellectual thought.
• The Enlightenment period saw crucial shifts in philosophy and marked a move away from religious dogma.
• In the Enlightenment era, different spheres of thought, such as physics, chemistry, and astronomy, became successful
• The Enlightenment project led to the advancement of several areas of understanding

New Philosophers

• Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper were prominent figures in this era
• These philosophers focused on rational thoughts and scientific methods

Characteristics of the Modernism Era

• Modernism was centrally focused on rational understanding.
• Science was the primary source of knowledge.
• Consistent progress was a central goal of the thought.

Postmodernism

• Postmodernism was a reaction against the shortcomings of modernism.
• Postmodernism rejects the idea of a single, absolute truth.
• Postmodernism values a variety of perspectives and experiences over objective truths
• Postmodernism is heavily critiqued in the slides
• Postmodernism's core ideas include that there is no permanent truth or reality and the rejection of grand narratives
• Relativism is an important component of postmodernism.

Criticism Towards Relativism

• Critics argue relativism contradicts itself by claiming there's no absolute truth.
• Some critics assert that relativism is flawed because it doesn't allow for scientific consensus,
• Critics suggest that a lack of a single, widely-held truth within science would result in confusion

The Effect of Relativism Towards Religious Beliefs

• Relativism challenges the perceived absoluteness of religious beliefs, suggesting the possibility of multiple valid interpretations
• Relativism can be viewed as a threat by religions, because it denies the possibility of a single truth.
• Relativism may lead to confusion about religious beliefs

Facing Postmodernism

• The development of history may have reached a dead-end.
• A period of relativism that challenges identity, purpose, and direction may be upon us.
• Maintaining one's history, values, and cultural identity are presented as essential in facing the challenges presented by postmodernism
• Reevaluating and understanding one's roots, establishing a life vision and purpose, and keeping up with societal change are suggested as ways to overcome possible setbacks

Figures of Postmodernism

• Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Jean Baudrillard are key figures in postmodern thought.
• They each contributed significantly, offering different insights

Contemporary Society

• Contemporary society is viewed as one where different schools of thought are in competition.
• The three competing schools of thought are enlightenment, Postmodernism and religion