Shaping the process of modernization of the modern civilization of human society. Relative to the former tradition of modern civilization, modern civilization as a landmark revolution, sublation and transcendence of both traditions. But when the new tradition gradually developed into a modern civilization, its own development also has to face new conflicts, contradictions of modernity and post modernity. After the so-called rise of modernism, is the concrete manifestation of this contradiction.
Modernity and post modernity
The so-called post-modernism, is the beginning in the sixties or seventies of the 20th century in Western countries has a significant impact of widespread social and cultural trends, it relates to literature, art (including architectural style, etc), language, history, philosophy, culture and ideology of the many areas of society. Although the trend is still in a complicated and diversified development of the State, but from a general view, postmodernism’s purpose is very clear, that is, roots, traditions and other aspects of the development of modern civilization, for all aspects of critical reflection. Therefore, after the rise of modernism, can be said for the view of modernity has provided a new mirror, reflects the contradictions of modernity and tradition, and reflects all aspects of its own contradictions of modernity. Foucault pointed in what is enlightenment, modernity only we should not be understood as being in between modern and post-modern era before, but more should be viewed as a kind of attitude to modernity. In this way, through a defence of modernity is still the implementation analysis of critical attitude to these two, we can distinguish what is modernity and Postmodernity.
More generally, modernity can be considered “abbreviations in modern society or industrial civilization”. The so-called “defence of modernity” attitude, before modernization is based on the modern tradition of historical transcendence, emphasizing the development of modern civilization autonomy and sufficiency of the target, and so on. Specifically, refers to the establishment of modernity in rationalism, humanitarian ideals and machines on the basis of civilization, marked to market economy and the modern democratic system to achieve the “economic prosperity, basic living guarantee, overall improvement in the quality of life” as the goal, and the growth of science and technology established by the “centralized, organized, professional, and institutionalized” fundamental principles of civilization development. Since the foundation of modern enlightenment thought in modern values of reason, progress, which is pursued by “rationality to provide universal human liberation” as is “basis and realization, which reflects the spirit of transcending differences of historical and cultural traditions, especially in the modern market economy and science and technology of physical force, such as promotion, has set the development of modern human civilization as the unique status of universal values.
But with the in-depth development of modernization in the global context, in its huge material achievements made at the same time, are also faced with new problems and challenges of modernity. For example, the result of a global capitalist economic development disparities, the commercialization of life issues; widely used ecological risk caused by problems of science and technology, and so on. These negative phenomena are continuously expanding, leads to a “commitment to modernity” questions, criticism, reflection, after gradually form the so-called theme of modernism.
As a core category of the postmodernism of, after the most obvious characteristic of modernity was developed as an antithesis of modernity. In accordance with the concepts of Postmodernity, “commitment to modernity” can’t keep, and even a variety of “alienation” phenomenon to emerge, not only descriptions of the modern development of universal pattern itself out of the question, and that means that as the foundation of modern and sign “modern rationality” encounters a fundamental crisis. For example, Hou modern sexual concept think, modern sexual of values, General has “on Foundation, and authority, and unified of crush”, “depending main sexual for Foundation and Center”, “adhere a abstract of things view”, features, these narrative no a exception to lost credibility and appeal, on this all of thoroughly questioned, on means was should take to “negative sexual, and non-Center, and uncertainty, and non-continuity and diversified,” for basic features of Hou modern thinking way, firmly against modern sexual main-guest opposition of thinking mode, against Foundation doctrine, and nature doctrine, and rational doctrine and moral idealism, against main doctrine and human Center doctrine, and so on. Therefore, modernity should be replaced by the modernity after the digestion or. For example, try civilian perspective of modernity after all the hubbub to replace the intellectual hero of the “grand narrative”, in response to the development trend of modern civilization and culture constantly moved down the center of gravity; to ecological and civilized lifestyle to discourage expansion and excessive proliferation of information and science and technology; to irony, games, and strategy to break down chains of rational and limited, and so on.
Analysis of the contradictions of modernity and post modernity
Postmodernity based on the complexity of the development of modern civilization, with emphasis on modern theory, value, cultural and social life all something with structure or essential features for a full range of questions and challenges, reverse. Thus in form, Postmodernity showing does not determine the characteristics of the complex, diverse, open, or as a way of thinking, or as a “game of political or ideological policy”, or as a “reading”, or as an attitude to life, or as a kind of aesthetic taste, and so on. In this sense, Postmodernity represents modernity and completely different “picture of civilization”, civilization is no longer a structural but rather flattened, are no longer ordered and align a nature but its complexity and chaos.
From a content point of view, Postmodernity is broadly reflected in three distinct attitudes: negative (deconstruction) of Postmodernity, constructively (constructive) Postmodernity, false (Disney) of Postmodernity. The so-called negative (deconstruction) of Postmodernity, as the post-very representative theory in the modern trend of thought, was to base a radical subversion of modernity, constituting all of the dual structure of modern (such as: essence/master/, true/false, and the fact/value, and so on) for complete digestion. The school believes that because of what does not exist at all “absolute truth”, “general rule”, “eternal structure” and so, therefore, no matter how reasonable, look how complex this structure, are actually false and invalid. Therefore, not through modernity, but only through the collapse of modernity, freedom and genuine liberation can be achieved. The so-called constructive (constructive) Postmodernity, while modernity is the attempt to critique and reflection, renewal beyond the values of modernity, with “no foundations” postmodern completely replaced modernity. That is, to get rid of modern universal mode, through the creation of man and nature, man and society, the new relationship between people, can we truly achieve their goals. The so-called false (Disney) of Postmodernity, mainly to the destruction of various rational and universal power in the process of modernity on control and repression of the people, seeking to maximize the freedom of thought and life, so as to maximize the release was suppressed by the modernity of creativity. Words, despite the development of modernity after showing a variety of form, content and color, but on the whole, modern thinker after agreed that their theories or doctrines “end”, including all of modern tradition to seek “does not stick to and pursue certain results in the form of self-breakthrough creative” attitudes and ways of facing the future.
Looking at the contradictions of modernity and post modernity, not only describing the characteristics of changes of the times, and revealed the complexity and contradiction facing the development of modern civilization. Cultural conflicts and caused the two debates, are equally controversial. The view was expressed that Postmodernity and profound ideas, earth-shattering, rich sense of crisis and innovation spirit; others considered deviousness, full color of nihilism. There is no doubt that Western modernity is in the traditional sense has its inherent limitations, in this sense, some of the challenges of modernity after, to become the focus of widespread concern, speaks for itself of its value. But on the other hand, we should also see, whether it is standing on the negative position of upholding a positive attitude, whether in theory or in practice, the transcendence of postmodernism for modernity, not only is still outstanding, and Postmodernity ‘ ability to achieve this transcendence also face the same reflection and questioning. On one hand, Postmodernity from the standpoint of its history to the modern reverse enlarge the limitations of simple, apparently has “overkill” smacks of the other hand, some taken in extreme Postmodernism “of anti-intellectual, and cultural” position values of formalism as a result of flooding or cynicism, it is extremely clear negative meaning. If we looked for careful, critical trend of postmodernism, it is not hard to see there is a contradiction of Postmodernity itself. This is not only in postmodernism between internal contradictions, but, more importantly is caused by the contradictions of modernity and Postmodernity “absurd reasoning” is postmodern in nature that cannot be eliminated. On one hand, Postmodernity is bred in the modern tradition of, and as a completely evil power “into modernity internal refactoring, and devoured it consumed” on the other, Postmodernity also exhibits more radical than the modern way, rejected any new traditions. In other words, since the post modern aims to go beyond modernity, then it should be pointed out that the development of civilization in a new direction. Then if you Take away the firewood under the cooking pot way of modernity, not only ended the tradition, and in a sense will end itself.
Critical reflection on development of modern civilization
Contradictions of modernity and post modernity is not by chance the existence and development. They are both a history of modern civilization has developed to a certain stage of specific social contradictions reflected, to a certain extent, reflect the critical reflections on the historical process of development of modern civilization.
First, the contradiction between the two suggests that modernity problems be resolved only in the process of modernization. Encountered on the development of modern civilization of modernity after revelation of contradictions, in particular to reveal the inner contradictions of modernity, not only demonstrated the modernity of the “unfinished”, and describes the history of the development model of modernization of traditional limitations. But the crux of the problem, if not through the modernization of the “platform” is impossible to solve these contradictions. Therefore, if modernity is Postmodernity completely banished, so it is not only thoroughly exile itself, the civilization development and equal to the total exile. Not only does nothing to solve the problem of, and no doubt will bring a lot of confusion.
Second, contradictions between the two shows the tension of social progress and development of personality. More generally, the modern human modernization is the core. But in a modern sense, modernization of the basic meaning is established in the Community Development Foundation. And the last to be expressing the modernity of the universality of this development is on the personality of the repression, which revealed the historical complexity of the interaction of the two, which embodies a distinct secular, universal human culture, universal artistic value orientation. Admittedly, does cause the personality development of modernity in certain aspects of “alienation”, but at the same time we should also see that modern civilization is to continue to promote social progress and development trend of the total personality development of harmony, this unity is not abstract, very historical. Compared with the modern tradition of earlier, under the conditions of modern personality development is undoubtedly the qualitative leap. Then the modernists ideas “to live in a world entirely of their own creation and construction”, which is itself in the construction of a new spirit of utopia. Therefore, the sense of postmodern cultural criticism, and in the areas of values and beliefs of the relationship between the two “pan-cultural” meaning, is a complex issue “simplistic” and not fundamentally advance the solution of the problem.
Third, the contradiction between the two calls for science and the Humanities “two cultures” coordinated development. Postmodernity was able to get a huge social impact, an important reason for this is that it is in the form of fierce “in science and technology as the core” caused by the modernity of the “two cultures” imbalance initiated a strong challenge. But on the whole, complete ablation of modern science and technology development after the cultural values of another extremist practices, also not conducive to the healthy development of the civilization. In fact, science and humanity “two cultures” relationship between a very complicated issue, unity between the two, will be an open, plural, plural of competition with each other “complementary” long-term “natural history”. History has shown that human civilization but also shows that, whether it is one-sided scientific, or single human culture, and runs counter to the basic directions of development of human civilization will be.
To sum up, we can see, the modernization process of civilization not only full of historical complexities, and the need to constantly update and self-improvement. In this sense, we should squarely face of modern challenges and problems raised by after. But at the same time should also be seen, to cancel, avoid or abandoning the settlement issue as the main value orientation of postmodern theory, obviously not in a positive sense to a new height of civilization development. Humans can neither fantasy once and for all universal solution, it should not be taken of perdition, passive avoidance or unchecked manner. Only by way of solving problems rather than by eliminating problems can only be truly overcome the difficulties faced by human development, prospects for the future.