The condition of being modern - I

As one browses through pages of history, a point truly comes where commencement of modern period can be marked. This condition of being modern lies in the wad of 18th century thought process. (European context) Most important layer being knowledge based on critical reasoning which led to progress in all aspects of human understanding, science and technology. It is based on this characteristic that we can distinguish modern period from earlier eras.

According to Marshall Berman, “what make all these changes distinctively modern are not the inventions themselves, but a process of incessant enquiry, discovery and innovation, and a shared determination to transform theory into practice, to use all we know to change the world.”

Talking about changes, two things were major

a. critical reasoning

b. conception of universal history

For this one can go through readings by Immanuel Kant, Cassirer E, and G W F Hegel on enlightenment and philosophy of history. Let us talk about critical reasoning. First what does ‘critical’ in ‘critical thinking’ means?Using our cognitive faculties and knowledge, we have acquired till yet to understand the circumstances in front of us. This calls us to be self-analytical or self conscious before conforming, even to any factual information.

During the 18th century, main fundamental principle was to combine knowledge based on reason (experimentation) and experience. We can say combining the empirical and rational thinking. It was proved during this century that one should keep on analysing data till we get to the simplest component and have a reason behind every belief.

Enlightenment thinkers were asking people to critically judge themselves in all phases of life. Immanuel Kant marked this phase as beginning of modernity or ‘break from the past’ which is based on reasoning and analysis. Having a self conscious nature (or reflexive) gets interconnected with term modern – not accepting anything with blind faith. It was because authoritative institutions like church and nobility were questioned, that new foundations based on the concept of nation state could be laid.