ECO/SNY 128 Spring 2015

Lecture 1Modernity and Civilizations

M. Aykut Attar

Modern/Modernization/Modernity

modernizationan umbrella term for a series of interrelated and endless

intellectual,

political,

economic,

technological,

religious,

social, and

psychological revolutions.

Started in some European citiesThen diffused to the rest of EuropeEventually became a global phenomenon

Modern/Modernization/Modernity

modernizationan umbrella term for a series of interrelated and endless

intellectual,

political,

economic,

technological,

religious,

social, and

psychological revolutions.

Started in some European citiesThen diffused to the rest of EuropeEventually became a global phenomenon

Modernity is relative! The meaning changesfrom time to time and from place to place:

Every country is modern to some degree.

But yesterday’s modern is sometimes outmodedtoday.

Modernization is revolutionary! Values, technology, andorganization change in dramatic ways.

Slow modernization ↔ Successfulmodernization.

Over centuries rather than over generations...

Modernity is relative! The meaning changesfrom time to time and from place to place:

Every country is modern to some degree.

But yesterday’s modern is sometimes outmodedtoday.

Modernization is revolutionary! Values, technology, andorganization change in dramatic ways.

Slow modernization ↔ Successfulmodernization.

Over centuries rather than over generations...

Modernity is relative! The meaning changesfrom time to time and from place to place:

Every country is modern to some degree.

But yesterday’s modern is sometimes outmodedtoday.

Modernization is revolutionary! Values, technology, andorganization change in dramatic ways.

Slow modernization ↔ Successfulmodernization.

Over centuries rather than over generations...

Modernity is relative! The meaning changesfrom time to time and from place to place:

Every country is modern to some degree.

But yesterday’s modern is sometimes outmodedtoday.

Modernization is revolutionary! Values, technology, andorganization change in dramatic ways.

Slow modernization ↔ Successfulmodernization.

Over centuries rather than over generations...

Tragedy as well as Progress

PROGRESS TRAGEDYPeace WarProsperity PovertyJustice Exploitation

Modernity ...

◮ a state of mind:Only modern minds can create modern worlds.

◮ a belief in humanity:

◮ Human reason — not a transcendent god — is the master ofhumanity’s fate.

◮ Individuals should freely pursue their material, emotional, andspiritual needs.

◮ a process of creative destruction:obsolete & functionless being discarded & replaced withsomething more appropriate & more modern.

A big question remains:

How do individuals achieve meaning orsalvation in a godless universe?

Humanity unlocking the jinni of modernityThis means...

Getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden for eating theforbidden fruit.

Prometheus stealing fire from Mount Olympus.

Pandora’s Box opening and releasing all the evil, leaving onlyhope inside.

Transitions from one “lifestyle” to another ...

◮ Hunting and GatheringUntil the last 7,000 years.

◮ Agricultural Life

◮ Domestication of plants and animals◮ First settled civilizations in Mesopotamia around 5,000 BC◮ Then a proliferation of various civilizations

◮ 15th century civilizations other than Christian Europe

◮ Ming China◮ Aztec Mexico◮ Inca Peru◮ Benin Africa◮ Mogul India◮ Ashikaga Japan◮ Ottoman Asia Minor

Transitions from one “lifestyle” to another ...

◮ Hunting and GatheringUntil the last 7,000 years.

◮ Agricultural Life

◮ Domestication of plants and animals◮ First settled civilizations in Mesopotamia around 5,000 BC◮ Then a proliferation of various civilizations

◮ 15th century civilizations other than Christian Europe

◮ Ming China◮ Aztec Mexico◮ Inca Peru◮ Benin Africa◮ Mogul India◮ Ashikaga Japan◮ Ottoman Asia Minor

◮ All of these non-European civilizations were ruled bycentralized bureaucracies and had achieved enormousadvances in technology, the arts, philosophy, and wealth.

◮ But none developed the related psychological, philosophical,and technological prerequisites for modernity andglobal conquest.

◮ Two serious candidates were China and the OttomanEmpire.

But let’s now go back to the issues of

power and politics:

◮ All of these non-European civilizations were ruled bycentralized bureaucracies and had achieved enormousadvances in technology, the arts, philosophy, and wealth.

◮ But none developed the related psychological, philosophical,and technological prerequisites for modernity andglobal conquest.

◮ Two serious candidates were China and the OttomanEmpire.

But let’s now go back to the issues of

power and politics:

◮ Every century, a country to shape international relationswith its own values

◮ In the 17th century, France (under Cardinal Richelieu)introduced the modern approach to international relations

◮ Great Britain in the 18th century exercised the balance ofpower and this dominated European diplomacy for 200 years

◮ The 20th century was an American one!

◮ US was pragmatic, interventionist and passionate aboutthe universality of its values

◮ Two attitudes: Perfecting democracy at home and crusadingfor its values around the world

◮ Every century, a country to shape international relationswith its own values

◮ In the 17th century, France (under Cardinal Richelieu)introduced the modern approach to international relations

◮ Great Britain in the 18th century exercised the balance ofpower and this dominated European diplomacy for 200 years

◮ The 20th century was an American one!

◮ US was pragmatic, interventionist and passionate aboutthe universality of its values

◮ Two attitudes: Perfecting democracy at home and crusadingfor its values around the world

◮ American values: highly influential after 1917

◮ Real victory: the collapse of the Soviet Russia

◮ New problem: A diversity of powerful nationalisms

◮ Neither isolation from the world nor dominating it

◮ New idea: equilibrium (or the balance of power)

The Balance of Power

◮ Not a regularity until modernity

◮ Successful examples:◮ city-states of Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy◮ the European state system after 1648

(the Peace of Westphalia)

◮ But these required◮ a number of states with almost equal levels of power◮ a guiding principle of world order.

◮ Enlightenment Ideal: invisible hand, the separation ofpowers, checks and balances, etc.

◮ American values: highly influential after 1917

◮ Real victory: the collapse of the Soviet Russia

◮ New problem: A diversity of powerful nationalisms

◮ Neither isolation from the world nor dominating it

◮ New idea: equilibrium (or the balance of power)

The Balance of Power

◮ Not a regularity until modernity

◮ Successful examples:◮ city-states of Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy◮ the European state system after 1648

(the Peace of Westphalia)

◮ But these required◮ a number of states with almost equal levels of power◮ a guiding principle of world order.

◮ Enlightenment Ideal: invisible hand, the separation ofpowers, checks and balances, etc.

Europe’s “Modern” Balance of Power

◮ 1815 (the Congress of Vienna)

◮ After the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars

◮ Rising conflict toward the end of the 19th century

◮ And (partial!) conflict resolution with World War I

For several reasons...

◮ Another conflict resolution was necessary: World War II

◮ US not getting into the game of balanced power (the onlycandidate “to fight” the Soviet Russia)

◮ The Cold War was the new regime of two-polar world.

◮ The Soviet Russia was a big military power but eventuallycollapsed because of its social and economic crises.

◮ The Current Dilemma: Between fragmentation &globalization

Europe’s “Modern” Balance of Power

◮ 1815 (the Congress of Vienna)

◮ After the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars

◮ Rising conflict toward the end of the 19th century

◮ And (partial!) conflict resolution with World War I

For several reasons...

◮ Another conflict resolution was necessary: World War II

◮ US not getting into the game of balanced power (the onlycandidate “to fight” the Soviet Russia)

◮ The Cold War was the new regime of two-polar world.

◮ The Soviet Russia was a big military power but eventuallycollapsed because of its social and economic crises.

◮ The Current Dilemma: Between fragmentation &globalization

For the Next Week

READ [required] William Nester’s Chapter

3: “From Feudal to Modern Europe”

WATCH [optional] Luc Besson’s “The

Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc”