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TRIMODERNISM
TRIMODERNISM AND SOCIAL SCIENCES: A NOTE
Joel C. Snell Kirkwood College
Introduction: The issues of premoderm, modern, and postmodern can often confuse the social scientists because so much is drawn from modernism as the foundation of the social methodologies. Briefly, the author would like to differentiate the three modernism philosophies and indicate how a coalition of the three may apply to social sciences.
Discussion:
Premodernism:
In western societies, an anthropomorphic god creates humans and orders society. The basic source of information is revelation. Humans are not rational. Angels and/or Demonic creatures guide people. The church is the major source of authority. History is cyclic. There is a reason for everything. Premodernism is the dominant thought of most of the world’s population. Today, most are nondemocracies, but democracies have large populations among fundamentalists of many world religions. At the time of this writing, fundamentalism is a strong viable force in American politics. (www.4truth.net)
Modernism:
Around 1650, critics of the social order looked to natural phenomena to explain human behavior. Reason, ethics, and empiricism prevailed. Humans are rational and can make choices. History is an ongoing march toward progress. God is viewed by theologians by “higher criticism.” Holy books are viewed in terms of information, revelation, and metaphor. Nontheisim is also introduced. Modernism is still alive, but its descent began in the 1950’s. Modernism is still the core of western thought and prevails in corporate, scientific, and academic areas.Freewill (or hard indeterminism) is honored.. Individualism is given special attention.(http://.theologica.blogspot.com) (http://www.postmodernpsychology.com)
Postmodernism:
After some of the most modern educated nations turned to Stalinism and Nazism. a reassessment of humans emerged. Humans are non-rational. Information comes from multiple sources. Theisms and NonTheisms of many varieties are honored. Overly rational, predictive thought can be flawed by chaotic butterflies, late modern black swans, modern multicollinearity. We create metanarratives to describe societies. . Hybrid philosophies that even contain conundrums and contradictions are tolerated. Arbitrary numbering systems are questioned. Capitalism appears to fit the best with various societies. However, although all have market economies, some are socialist, theocractic, or military oriented capitalisms. Thus neo-socialists are really capitalists. History is not necessarily progress, but change. We can use partial deconstruction to evaluate social constructions of reality. We can endorse some facets of premodernism. Lyon (1999) notes,”my own sympathies lie in a complex interaction between the Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern.) Religion is non-literal and personal, combining pre-modern , modern and post modern. The holy texts are ancient, but the interpretation is contemporary. It is critical theology. Or, it is closure in a chaotic world. The awesomeness of the material and spiritual world is rediscovered. (Rasor, 2003)
Trimodernism and the social sciences:
The author suggests that the three can be useful in the social methodologies or social sciences. If you will, here are the ways:
may have some theological foundation. Moderns would be the most dubious on this one, but can not outright dismiss it.
4.Near Death Experiences: If an individual is dead for days and returns to life or a blind person can see during an NDE, this could suggest that a transpersonal force is at work. A number comeback with transpersonal insights. The author recognizes that for moderns this is possibly valid or is an outcome of a rush of endorphins. For pre-moderns, if the account does not match their personal paradigm, then the account is demonic. However, if it does fit the paradigm than it is acceptable. Postmoderns will probably find this viable.
5.Other: a new phenomena may emerge that all three philosophies can tolerate. Explanations may differ, but they may agree that some undercurrent of what is happening is accepted by all.
Trimodernism Revisited:
Premoderns live in a world with structure. This paradigm and foundation can blur and routinize, but also present an awesome world. One is comfortable in the life path of generations upon generations of previous human thought and action.
Modernism can perform predictable as well as novel discoveries as well as save lives and improve universal illness of the masses. Religion is generally more rational. Progress, individualism and optimism are emphasized.
Postmodernism can connect thought and feeling, can honor the humanities with sciences, and foster diversity in action and thought. We may or may not make progress, but we can feel more comfortable with ourselves. We know our contradictions because we know about our non rationality. Religion is diverse, comforting, yet challenging.
There are selected instances in which the three can be related as indicated above. References Cited:
http://.postmodernpsychology.com/Philosophical_Systems/Overview.htm
http:theological.blogspot.com/2005/o5/premodernism-modernism-and.htm
http://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLrF/b.2950205/k.7A9C/What-is-Postmodernism.htm
Lyon , D. (1999) Postmodernity, 2nd ed. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Rasor, Paul (2003) The postmodern challenge to liberal theology, Unitarian Universalist Christian , Vol 58, 5-53. |
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