Age of Enlightenment and Modernity Essay Example

Industrial revolutions. The ideals of liberty, equality and democracy that arose from the French Revolution created new political and social foundations. The principle that all men are created equal transformed society and still shapes our ideals today (Blatterer 2011:5). The Industrial revolution was a period of immense social, political and economic change. These changes transformed society leading to a loss of traditional, ollective values to a society based on capitalism and a more modern, individualistic way of life. The Industrial revolution was a period of immense social upheaval where change and uncertainty were the norm and it is from these social changes that the age of modernity was born (Blatterer 2011:8). Modernity is a notion that affects us all. It is ever changing and always present, shaping our experiences. Modernity was born from a period of unprecedented social change beginning with the Enlightenment and the French and Industrial revolutions.

To live with modernity is to live with change and indecision, for there are no certainties. This essay has defined modernity and identified the causes of modernity and shown that many of the ideals of modernity are still cemented in our society today. Bibliography Berman,M. (1983)Introduction:Modernity-Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow’,All That is Solid Melts Into Air. London and New York: Vertigo: 15-36. Blatterer,Harry Dr (2011) “A Brief History of Social Thought” Lecture 3,SGY110 A Brief History of Social Thought,Macquarie University.