Daniel Fragachan
October 14, 2008

Mr. Burgey
History Grade 10

                                                            Modernity Essay

            For authors of the 20^th century the issue of modernity was a topic that for them could mean hours and hours of thinking. However, this topic also raised a question; a doubt was this so said called modernity good or prejudicial for society. Perfectibility of the human society through modernity was a controversial issue for the authors of the 20th century. In the sources facilitated to us we could appreciate the two different extremes of the way to view it, ones who said modernity would help humans achieve perfection while others believed it only lead towards our won destruction.

            The human society was said by some authors to be able to achieve perfection through the advancement of science and technology. This statement we can see supported in source one in which Jean Antoine Nicholas de Condorcet believed that one of the ways for humanity to achieve perfection would be thanks to modernity and its influence on the advancements of the sciences and technologies of the time. In his writing Jean Antoine Nicholas de Condorcet arguments that thorough the advancement of science and technology our society would achieve perfection, by the science giving us new medicine, that would make humans live longer and happier. We can also appreciate some support to this argument on source number 2;  “ The First Half of the

Nineteenth Century progress of the Nation, and the Race.” By the Economist, which states that through the process of modernity the nation and the race would progress. This same source to give more back up, mentions that many people believed that the Golden Age was in the past, this source qualifies them as “ignorant”, this article states that the people should look at the future with optimism and not think about past triumphs but about future ones.

            The human society was said by some authors to be able to achieve perfection through liberty. Many authors from the 20^th century although agreeing with the fact that modernity would help human society into achieving perfection, they disagreed on the science part, many believed that the key towards the perfect human society was the giving of liberty to humans. Likewise, there is also supporting articles in these sources facilitated to us, again we can find Jean Antoine Nicholas de Condorcet who believed that through the giving of liberty to humanity, our society would achieve perfection. He believed that through the giving of liberty the human mind would progress and this progress would lead to the perfection of our society.

            By contrary there were authors in the 20th century that believed that the only thing that modernity did to human society was lead it towards destruction and unhappiness. On this extreme of the view of modernity we could find source 4 from Frederich Engels, whose opinion is interesting. He believed that the advancement of sciences and technology would lead humanity towards a utopia (perfect society), however, in this perfect society there is no place for humans, for humans have created such perfect machines for everything that society is not dependant on humans to keep

functioning. On this same view point we can find Source 5 by Mohandis K. Gandhi, whose theory is likewise interesting. Gandhi believed that by modernity making people progress and get more and more stuff, there would be appoint in which this greed would have no stop, and it no longer would mean a greed for wanted to move out of poverty etc, it would mean a greed  for things that we may not need, but that we still want. He believes that this want would take people into feeling unhappy and un satisfied with themselves and this would of course not be the perfect society presented to us before by some other authors in these sources.

            Modernity leading towards the perfect human society was a topic that created some difference in opinion between the authors of the 20^th century. Many authors believed that this perfect society would be achieved; however, some believed that it would achieve it through some means while others disagreed. Likewise, there were the authors of the 20^th century who completely disagreed and believed that the only society modernity would lead to would be a society of unhappiness and no emotion. This topic could be debated on for hours and created different opinions as we can see in the sources that we have.  

How I was introduced to history

            My introduction to history began that September in which I began seventh grade; the first time I walked into the class of Adam Rugnetta. I can remember Rug teaching us everyday about the current events, which lead to our MUN. From that year on I benign to be more and more interested in history, I can remember great lessons, the study of great civilizations, and of course Rug’s story.

            The introduction to history that I had well at first we studied something maybe we can call early history (current events). The way I became interested into history was thanks to Rug, every Morning seeing his drawings with a new news event, made me want to watch the news to try and guess what would be on the board the next day. That inspired me in a way to learn more about history. Another very influential thing that lead me to be interested into history I guess was MUN, in which we had to research passed facts and history to have a background on the country that we represented.

            I can remember memorable lessons, for example, Plato’s theory on how we are all actually all stuck in the cave, looking at the wall; I can tell you that that lesson with Rug was very interesting. In the ancient history part I got interested in the part that came to the philosophers, ancient Greece. Also when we were studying china because Rug had just gone to visit it; I enjoyed more than everything, our study on slavery and our view of the video of Roots. That movie I think made my entire grade think and I believe it impacted each and every one of us.  

            My introduction to history meant me liking it, and really to all this I have to that Rug, who by teaching me well made me “enjoy” learning history