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

have tried explaining that there's exist a difference between the two terms - modern and modernity but still they are integrated with each other. 

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.

Who's who?

During the 16th and 17th century, decision of the church was taken supreme as well as the knowledge based on experience. With the progress to 18th century, the funda became of combining experience plus experimentation. It became important to break down things to simpler facts with a reason behind every event.
The 18th century came to be known as the age of enlightenment that advocated the use of reason in the re-evaluation of accepted ideas and social institutions. This particular time period is marked as beginning of modernity (condition of being modern) or as Immanuel Kant calls ‘a break from the past’.

The way knowledge was acquired formed an important characteristic for condition of being modern. It puts us in a state of continual analysis of circumstances and fact finding based on pattern of science.

With more and more influx of knowledge, and ability to collect and store every bit of knowledge in form other than written created possibility of higher level of reflexivity.

The concept of reflexivity can be defined as a cyclic process of reflection of thought and action on to each other, for one to justify the other according to Anthony Giddens analysis of modernity. As a result of this, truth of today may not be the truth of tomorrow. Reacting to all this, a modern society experiences change at a very rapid rate which brings in the character of uncertainty/ impermanence.

This change/ uncertainty brought in by modern life makes the issue of identity so important.