20th Century Modernism
Attempt to reject old habits of thought. 19th Century: Unprecedented development in science. Faith in progress and rational solutions. Science made the universe more rational and predictable. Excessive faith in the power of science. Everything could be explained through the scientific method, even society. Utopian socialism - envisioned perfect societies.
Possibility of creating a perfect society by understanding social laws. Karl Mark proposed scientific theory of world history driven by economic forces. World as machine. Mendeleev. Attraction of scientific method: promise of objective truth. Description of individual subjects in terms of collective statistical evidence.
Reaction to Rationalism. Dostoevsky. Nietzsche (1844-1900) focus on the individual, not society man refuses to be bound by social paradigms, Christianity, faith in science, loyalty to the state Distinction between the instinctual and intellectual forces in human beings Insistence on the individual’s complete freedom and responsibility The world lacks transcendental (eternal) laws. “God is dead.”
WW I contribute to the re-examination of the rationalist, or positivist conception of man? For the first time involved all of Europe and the US. Modern weapons spared no one, including civilians Entire generation lost in the trenches. Why? All because one person gets killed. Re-examination of the systems of beliefs, authority, in a society that had allowed such a war to occur. How can an enlightened society allow something like that to occur?
Henri Bergson (1859-1941) Scientific rationalism was artificial. Reality is fluid. Life as it is actually experienced. Human experience can only be comprehended by consciousness.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Sub-conscious and instinctual drives must be taken into consideration to understand man. Rational and irrational levels of existence. Rational behavior shaped by irrational impulses. Human beings create and modify their images of self through engaging in dialogue with others. The self is fluid. What does it mean to be “healthy”? Surrealists totally reverse Freud by declaring madness as an insight into larger reality instead of an illness to be cured.
Game-like nature of language. Language determines how we see the world. Language not an accurate tool for direct reference to reality Language cannot grasp absolute reality. Language does not give us the real thing, but a series of labels – “signifiers” pointing to a “signified” Endless networking of associations, in which communication is impossible.
Eisenberg: measurements not exact, matter of approximation. Einstein: relativism, four-dimensional continuum (space-time), not expressed in language. Eisenberg: measurements not exact, matter of approximation. People no longer find self-evident truths in nature.
Phenomenology: Relationship between appearance and reality. Role of perception in establishing reality. Things as they appear. All consciousness is consciousness of something. Reality is formed in a relationship between perceiver and perceived.
Heideger and Existentialism: Questioned the meaning of existence in a world without pre-existing truths, values, or general laws. Absurd condition of human beings. thrown into the world without any understanding of their fate. Does this mean an abdication of moral commitment? Theater of the absurd: Human authenticity consists in choosing our actions at each point, avoiding bad faith of pretending that others are responsible for our choices.
Examined and Challenged: Cultural parochialism – “There is only one correct view of the world – mine!” Racial and ethnic stereotypes. Conventional roles of the sexes.
Dadaism, Surrealism, futurism: Expressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Futurism - different ways of expressing the reality of the world. Dadaism, Surrealism, futurism: Disgust for the traditional middle class values: Patriotism Religion Morality Rationalism. They blamed these for WW I.
absolute revolt against everything traditional. poetry-words placed together. pieces of art made from random objects. liberate the unconscious. Surrealist themes: Free play with words and images Anti-rationality Importance of the unconscious mind Blurring of dream and reality Blending of fantasy and reality