Modernism is a philosophical movement that arose around the time of cultural change and transformations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western Society. It was based on rational, logical means to gain knowledge
What does Modernism include? (activities and creations)
- Art
- Architecture
- Literature
- Religious Faith
- Philosophy
- Social Organisation
- Activities of daily life
A notable characteristic of Modernism is self-consciousness/self-reference and in general, a dramatic change of thought in the urge of mankind striving to improve their overall environment.
Art and literary works were considered unique creations of the artists; these were believed to bear a deep meaning and be considered fundamental to gaining knowledge.
Three Modernist concepts:
- Objective ultimate truth
- Anti-Supernatural
- Authority from science and human reason
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is almost a follow-up movement from Modernism; it began after the second world war and emphasises the general distrust of theories.
Three Postmodernist concepts:
- Objective truth is unknowable
- Mystical
- No ultimate authority
Postmodernist thinkers go by superficial appearances and don't consider things, and think as deeply as Modernist thinkers. This is partly due to the advancements in technology, media and advertising, televisions and computers becoming dominant.
People also went against Modernist theory in the fact that the uniqueness of art and literary works were not as sacred as they were being made out to be; people started deriving their own meanings and interpretations from them.
The main difference between Modernism and Postmodernism is that Modernism can sometimes be considered as naive in the way that Modernists are deep thinkers and in a way trust in learning from past experiences and trust texts that narrate the past. Whereas Postmodernist thinkers almost take things with a pinch of salt, and make decisions based on experience as opposed to relying on texts and pieces of art to guide them.
