The Idea Of Cultural Modernity To Be Outdated

Modernity is a historical period from the 17th century, as well as a term that explains a set of certain socio-cultural norms and practices that have arisen in the period of Renaissance and Enlightenment. It is believed that the period of Modernity ended at around the middle of the 20th century, though the exact period that is considered the end of modernity is still arguable. The period that follows the modernity, is postmodernity, or a postmodern condition, a historical period from mid 20th century on, the phenomenon of society's cultural logic of capitalism. In fact, postmodernity can also be considered as an extension of modernity. In that sense, the new Neoconservatism is of the belief that the modernity is outdated. However, the question that arises is: is it so? Or there is more to differentiate in terms of the concept of modern?

According to Richard J. Bernstain (1998): „Habermas, for whom the concept of modernity is central, is frequently taken to be the boldest defender of the unfinished project of modernity, a forceful champion of the Enlightenment legacy“. Indeed, german philosopher Jürgen Habermas, a supporter of the critical social theory has argued the „unfinished project of modernity“. Habermas believes that neoconservatives have a blurred, or in other words, no clear vision of the relation between culture and society. For instance, the features like hedonism and lack of identity are being attributed to cultural modernity, where as a matter of fact these are all just a product of capitalist modernization of society in general.

Regarding cultural modernity, Max Webber considered that substentive mind is separated into three elements; science, morality and art formaly sticking togehter. As Webber marked the rationalism of the Western culture by differentiation of science, morals, and art, which means at the same time autonomy of the specialist sector and their separation from the traditional currents, that naturally continues in the hermeneutics of everyday practice. However, the problem that arises from the legality of differentiated value spheres is indeed a separation, that failed in its attempt to abolish the culture of expertise, which can best be seen in the the arts. The modern idea is closely related to the development of European art, but what Habermas called a project of modernity becomes visible only if we leave the usual concentration on art. He held the opinion that it is better to learn from the misapprehensions that followed the project of modernity, as well as from the mistakes of extravagant progames, rather than to proclaim lost modernity and its project. In words of Bernstein (1998), the colonization of the life world by systems rationality is the strongest endeavor of advanced technological societies, however, that endeavor is not a demonstration of a logic of history working itself out “behind our backs, but the potential of modernity still unfinished project – a project whose actualization is dependent upon our current praxis. “

Habermas is of the opinion that: „More or less in the entire Western world, a climate has developed that furthers capitalist modernization processes as well as trends critical of cultural modernism. The disillusionment with the very failures of those programs that called for the negation of art and philosophy has come to serve as a pretense for conservative positions. “ Thus, he distinguishes three types of conservatives: the young conservatives, the old conservatives and the neoconservatives. The Young Conservatives, such as Derrida, Foucault and many others, present the anti-modernism current, as they adopt a fundamental experince of aesthetic modernity. Its main features would be exposing of decentralized subjectivity free from constrains of cognition and the activity, all the imperatives of work and usefulness, and in that way, step out beyond the modern world. Secondly, the Old Conservatives represent the current of premodernism, and as such, are not fond of cultural modernity and therefore consider it is most useful to be returned to a position before the modernity. Lastly, the Neoconservatives present the postmodernism current and relate to acquisitions of moderny still primarily, in affirmative way. That means that they approve so-called modern science if it overrunas its own sphere so to improve tehnical progress and bring capital. Therefore, Habermas concludes how: „… with the decisive confinement of science, morality and art to autonomous spheres separated from the life-world and administered by experts, what remains from the project of cultural modernity is only what we would have if we were to give up the project of modernity altogether. As a replacement one points to traditions, which, however, are held to be immune to demands of (normative) justification and validation“.

To sum up, not everyone agrees with Habermas point of view regarding the modernity, in fact, Habermas's project has been attacked by philosophers, mainly the writers considered as French postculturalists, who presented a certain challenge to Habermas and considered modernity's completion problematic. For instance, philosophers like Derrida, Heidegger, and Foucault not only did not agree with the idea but rejected the entire project of modernity. Instead, those conservative critics of the „paradox“ of modern culture simply regarded it as either going back to pre-modernism or another way, to postmodernity or antimodernity.

On the other hand, Habermas perceive modernity potential through various ways, such as, in the reestablishment of connections between the spheres of science, morality, and art, connecting the expert cultures with communication process of the world of life and, as well, securing and advancing of communicational rationality. Perceived in a way author describes, the modernity is still an unfinished project. In words of Bernstein: „His project has been one of systematically analyzing social and cultural modernity in order to specify and do justice to its conflicting and ambiguous tendencies. “ The unfinished project of modernity encircle historical emancipatory prospects in an only way as a differentiated reactive connection of modern culture with everyday usage, though only in case if societal modernization can also be redirected on other non-capitalist tracks if the world of life can grow from itself the institutions that are restricted by the economic and administrative system.