modern - modernity - modernism - modern architecture

The best i could understand the meaning of modern, modernity, modernism, modernization was from book by Marshall Berman - "All That is Solid Melts into Air - The experience of modernity"

modern / modernity / modernism / modernisation

In my previous posts, I have tried showing the link between the idea of modernity and questioning of identity. For people who aren’t much acquainted with this concept, a lot of questions must be popping in their head about the term modernity itself.

The term in itself encompasses a broad spectrum of issues, which led to its generation around 200 yrs back. In all this discussion, I want to emphasize on the fact that we all need to keep in our heads the difference between modern, modernity, modern architecture, and modernisation, Modernism with a big M and modernism with a small m. In the starting of my research even I was very confused but as one goes through facts, it becomes clear. All these words would seem to have a similar stem note.

Let us start with the word modern.

Before starting the seminar, my guide Jaideep Chaterjee ( see figure ) had raised questions – when do we call ourselves modern? Is their any time and place we can locate ourselves in?

After going through number of readings on modernity, philosophy of history, enlightenment etc by Immanuel Kant, Marshall Berman, Anthony Giddens and number of other eminent writers, I was able to answer this question to myself more clearly in dissertation and also with reference to context of Indian architectural history. I will discuss about above mentioned in next post.