MODERNISM
MODERNISMS: A SUMMARY
PROF.JOEL CHARLES SNELL/ MA
Years ago, the author explained meta modernism by surverying premodern through the beginnings of meta modernism. This will hopefully be short and provide a simple clear explanation of pre to meta modernism. Simplicity and clarity are likely to omit specificity that attracts academics.
However, this is an approach to spread the word to those who don’t know and yet would like a glimpse of what these definitions mean. Therefore, summaries should suffice.
PREMODERNISM
From early hunting and gathering societies thousands of years ago, few knew how to read. They made verbal bargains, traded, fought wars, and left their elderly and handicap behind to die. Continously on the move, they used “trial and error” and “signs” from God to direct their lives. The most important tool to life was the “oral tradition” that was passed down from one generation to another. The traditions were considered supreme because they alledgly worked.
The human group was small and they roamed numerous areas all over the world. All except the pregnant and very young fought in wars. Scary ornaments were placed all over their bodies to deter and scare the enemy. Animals were killed and through the hunt, non-posionus plants were gathered. After many years, small plots of land grew crops, and later animals were trained to plow the land. Life was short and brutal. The last of the premodern era was agriculture and soon some people could read and write. Societies could go many years and not see a lot of changes .All of the descriptions above began to end around 1650. At that time, the church and science were at odds with each other, but reading and writing became part of the life of the masses. As time went on REASON which comes from logic and empiricism (placing numbers on things) began to move in to challenge the church. RELIGION comes from revelation from God and REASON comes from natural observation and ethics.
MODERNISM
So around 1650, reason began to emerge in the market place and the social life of the masses and the elites. New philosophies had to develop in terms of how much a few got more than the many. The computer could organize and deliver reports. However, much of life became a cold cost-benefit life that almost killed mysticism and religion. Numbers were too raw and “experts” found that their forecasts were far from reality.
Modernism began to overlook important serendipities that would upset an entire approach. “Black swans” of chaos theory tore at the foundation of straight line reasoning. The exceptions brought a modernism as empty and not trust worthy. Something was missing.
POSTMODERNISM
By the 1950’s to about 2015, postmodernism deconstructed and critized almost all forms of authority. From both natural and spiritual sources, postmodern humbled modernism. A long comprehensive report filled with statistics of numbers and Greek symbols were thought to create a fog not to seek the truth, rather than to hide it. Further, “truth” was replaced with the word “interpretation.” On the other hand, deconstructing invited disarray and disorder. Across the spectrum, truly ugly buildings were built. Stories were created that didn’t quite make sense. The force to fight symbolic fog created a new form of puzzles. It just became foolish.
META MODERNISM
Postmodernism appears to be the first chapter of a more complete philosophy. Around 2007, many who were suspicious of number generated modernism, now had to defend a system that was incomplete and laughable. Thus a new Meta Modernism was introduced. We have bundles of information that appear to compliment each other. Bundles lead to other bundles along a trajectory with parameters. Boundaries are established so that a Cartesian plane has limits. These limits may change into new limits in the new chapter of some type of modernism. We are looking for validity with less emphasis on interpretation. Order is still important.
So, this philosophy will have time limits too, before it is challenge by something more clear, powerful, and organized. It has to be useful to continue the march where science, religion, and other sources come together. We are not there yet.
SUMMARY
Premodern lasted thousands of years. Its strongest force was the oral tradition, trial and error, and religion. Modernism introduced sophisticated math and computers and challenged Premodern. Post modern challenged all authority. It’s deconstruction lead to disarray, but championed clearing falsehood. It then went too far, Meta Modernism now tries to bring order and usefulness to the field. After that, another modernism will probably surface.
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