MODERNISM • Using rational, scientific, logical means to know the world. Optimism that we can understand and control an objective world POSTMODERNISM • A reaction against rationalism, scientism, or objectivity of modernism. • There is an absolute, universal truth that we can understand through rationalism and logic. • There is no universal truth. Rationality by itself does not help us truly understand the world. • Humans are material machines. We live in a purely physical world. Nothing exists beyond what our senses perceive. • Suspicious of such dogmatic claims to knowledge. • Human kind is progressing by using science and reason. • "Progress " is a way to justify the domination by European culture of other cultures. • Time, history, progress • Culture on Fast Forward: Time and history replaced by speed, futureness, accelerated obsolescence. • history as a "narrative of what happened" with a point of view and cultural/ideo logical interests. • Postmodern historians and philosophers question the representatio n of history and cultural identities: history as "what 'really' happened" is from one group's point of view • Faith in "Depth" (meaning, value, content, how things work) over "Surfac e" (appeara nces, the superficia l, how we use things). • Attention to play of surfaces, images, things mean what we make them mean, no concern for "depth" but with how things look and respond • "disencha ntment with material truth and search for abstract truth." • "There is no universal truth, abstract or otherwise." • Faith in the "real" beyond media and representa tions; authenticity of "originals" • Hyper-reality , image saturation, simulacra seem more powerful than the "real"; images and texts with no prior "original". "As seen on TV" and "as seen on MTV" are more powerful than unmediated experience. TIME LINE • (Renaiss ance?) Enlightenment > 1750s > 1890-1945. • Post WWII, especially after 1968 GENERAL
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PostmodernismThe Modernism of the late 1800s was followed by postmodernism after
the Second World War. What characterized these movements? What isthe difference between modernism and postmodernism? To know it all,
read on…
According to some theorists, the 20th century can be divided into two
distinct periods; one characterized by the modernism movement andthe other by postmodernism. Some believe that postmodernism was a
response to modernism and hence consider them as two aspects of the
same movement. There are some major differences betweenmodernism and postmodernism. These distinctions make clear, the
basic difference in the ways of thinking that led to these movements.The difference between modernism and postmodernism highlights the
difference in the approaches towards life.
Modernism describes a collection of cultural movements of the latenineteenth and early twentieth century. It consists of a series of reforming movements in art, architecture, literature, music and applied
arts. Modernism was characterized by a dramatic change of thought,
whereby human intellect sought to improve their environment. Therewas a trend of improving every aspect of life by involving science and
technology into it. Modernism brought about a reform in all spheres of
life including philosophy, commerce, art and literature, with the aid of technology and experimentation. It led to progress in all the aspects of
life by changing the approach of mankind of looking at them.Postmodernism means, 'after the modern’. It was a reaction to
modernism and was influenced by the disenchantment brought about by
the Second World War. Postmodernism refers to the state that lacks acentral hierarchy and one that is complex, ambiguous and diverse. The
developments in society, the economy and the culture of the 1960swere impacted by postmodernism.
Difference between Modernism and Postmodernism
Modernism began in the 1890s and lasted till about 1945.Postmodernism began after the Second World War, especially after
1968. Modernism was based on using rational, logical means to gain
knowledge while postmodernism denied the application of logicalthinking. Rather, the thinking during the postmodern era was based on
unscientific, irrational thought process, as a reaction to modernism. Ahierarchical and organized and determinate nature of knowledge
characterized modernism. But postmodernism was based on ananarchical, non-totalized and indeterminate state of knowledge.
Modernist approach was objective, theoretical and analytical while the
postmodernism approach was based on subjectivity. It lacked theanalytical nature and thoughts were rhetorical and completely based on
belief. The fundamental difference between modernism andpostmodernism is that modernist thinking is about the search of an
abstract truth of life while postmodernist thinkers believe that there isno universal truth, abstract or otherwise.
Modernism attempts to construct a coherent world-view whereaspostmodernism attempts to remove the difference between high and
low. Modernist thinking asserts that mankind progresses by using
science and reason while postmodernist thinking believes that progressis a only way to justify the European domination on culture. Modernist
thinking believes in learning from past experiences and trusts the textsthat narrate the past. On the other hand postmodernist thinking defies
any truth in the text narrating the past and renders it of no use in thepresent times. Modernist historians have a faith in depth. They believein going deep into a subject to fully analyze it. This is not the case with
postmodernist thinkers. They believe in going by the superficialappearances, they believe in playing on surfaces and show no concern
towards the depth of subjects. Modernism considers the original worksas authentic while postmodernist thinkers base their views on hyper-
reality; they get highly influenced by things propagated through media.