What is modernity? Flashcards
What is modernity beyond simple modernization?
Modernity is a multifaceted concept that extends beyond simple modernization. Philosophical modernity should not be conflated with historical and economic processes of modernization. Modernization refers to capital accumulation, resource mobilization, the development of productive forces, labor productivity increases, centralized political power, the formation of national identities, political participation, urban lifestyles, education, and secularization.
How does philosophical modernity differ from modernization?
Philosophical modernity involves a historical process that relies on a neoliberal model of the “free market.” It includes deeper philosophical dimensions such as rationalization of life and restriction of theological power, which are marked by significant historical events like the discovery of the New World, the Renaissance, and the Reformation.
What are the key historical periods and events associated with modernity according to Hegel?
Hegel’s understanding of the “modern Age” spans from 1500 to 1800, characterized by significant events such as the discovery of the New World, the Renaissance, and the Reformation. These periods were marked by increasing rationalization of all forms of life and the restriction of theological power.
What are the two philosophically relevant aspects of the Modern Age?
The two philosophically relevant aspects of the Modern Age are:
A) Increasing rationalization of all forms of life. B) Restriction of theological power.
How do epistemologists and philosophers view scientific revolutions in relation to modernity?
Epistemologists and philosophers have celebrated scientific revolutions in mathematics and natural sciences, viewing them as triumphs of rationality. They consider these revolutions as significant achievements of modern rationality.
What criticisms do critical social philosophers have about modern rationality?
Critical social philosophers highlight the negative excesses of modern rationality, such as its instrumental and calculating nature, which tends to dominate rather than understand nature.
Who are Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, and what is their contribution to the understanding of modernity?
Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno were philosophers from the Frankfurt School who critically examined the promises and contradictions of the European Enlightenment. In their work “Dialectic of Enlightenment,” they discussed the dual promises and contradictions of Enlightenment ideals—freedom, equality, personhood, citizenship, and democracy—versus the realities of a modern capitalist economy and bureaucratic state apparatus.
What is the contradiction between Enlightenment ideals and reality as identified by Horkheimer and Adorno?
The contradiction lies in the Enlightenment’s promises of reason and its failure to fully realize those promises in reality, leading to a modern capitalist economy and bureaucratic state that contradict the ideals of freedom, equality, personhood, citizenship, and democracy.
How does Michel Foucault’s work contribute to the understanding of modernity?
Michel Foucault’s work focused on the history of systems of thought, particularly the origins of the human sciences and their role in the formation of modern society. His concept of “epistemé” referred to the meta-scientific frameworks within which science operates. He distinguished between the classical era (1660-1800) and the modern era (1800-1950), exploring how scientific practices determined objects and referred to things within these periods.
What is the significance of Foucault’s concept of “epistemé”?
Foucault’s concept of “epistemé” refers to the implicit frameworks or meta-scientific configurations within which science operates. These frameworks define how scientific practice refers to things and determines its objects, influencing the formation of modern society and the human sciences.
What is the main thesis of Foucault’s “Discipline and Punish”
In “Discipline and Punish,” Foucault discusses the genealogy of modern society, revealing hidden forms of domination and oppression beneath narratives of emancipation, rationalization, and progressive knowledge. He explores how institutions such as schools, military organizations, and factories operate on bodies and souls, transforming people into subjects of power and control.
What is Foucault’s critique of humanism?
Foucault critiques humanist notions such as “mankind,” “subjectivity,” “individuality,” and “person,” arguing that these concepts construct the entities they name, thereby transforming and dominating people. He emphasizes that humanist concepts seek to dominate people by turning them into the entities they describe.
What are the two transformations identified by Jean-François Lyotard within postmodernity?
: Jean-François Lyotard identifies two transformations within postmodernity:
Material and social transformations concerning production and communication modes.
Epistemological transformations concerning the meaning and structure of knowledge.
How does Lyotard define postmodernity?
Lyotard defines postmodernity as incredulity towards metanarratives, rejecting totalizing and systematizing reason in favor of a fragmented, dispersed, and heterogeneous society. He argues that postmodernity represents a shift from a unified narrative of progress to a multiplicity of localized narratives and language games.
