An Age of Modernity, Anxiety, and Imperialism, 1894-1914
"Imperialism: The final stage of capitalism." -- Vladimir Lenin
"Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter." -- Albert Einstein
"Imperialism: The final stage of capitalism." -- Vladimir Lenin
"Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter." -- Albert Einstein
CHAPTER 24: AN AGE OF MODERNITY, ANXIETY, AND MODERNITY. 1894-1914
The late 19th century seemed to be an electrifying era in Europe. As society was navigating its way through new technologies and standards of living, all of Europe was on the verge of something terrifying. This mostly went unnoticed by people, as there were many changes taking place in European minds and politics. This was known as the Age of Anxiety, when great thinkers such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Sigmund Freud introduced a new meaning of reality, or rather, a questioning of what reality is. The new physics presented Europeans with a sense of uncertainty about their place in the universe and led to further backlash from the church, as well as the continued secularization of Europe. Socialism continued its expansion through European politics, highlighted in the movement for women's suffrage, most notably in places like Great Britain and France.
Meanwhile, a dangerous new take on scientific thought was born amongst the raging nationalism in Western Europe, primarily in Austria and Germany, in which Darwinist ideas of evolution mixed with racism to produce an intensely threatening take on anti-Semitism and white superiority that would find its reckoning in the next decades to come. Russia also had to deal with its delay into the modern world, this time in the form of peasant revolts and a humiliating loss against Japan, once again exposing Russia's weakness as an industrial power, while at the same time harboring the origins of the first communist revolution. But despite all the changes in Europe, they are small compared to the changes in Africa, China, Japan, the Middle East, and Pacific Islands, as they fell prey to European nations hellbent on colonization and exploitation, this time driven by economic industrial demands rather than "gold, guns, and glory" of the old days. As European nations competed to build empires in the Age of New Imperialism, Europe remained convinced it was taking on the "white man's burden", while the newly colonized people were hurled into the chaotic mix of European politics against their will.
The late 19th century seemed to be an electrifying era in Europe. As society was navigating its way through new technologies and standards of living, all of Europe was on the verge of something terrifying. This mostly went unnoticed by people, as there were many changes taking place in European minds and politics. This was known as the Age of Anxiety, when great thinkers such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Sigmund Freud introduced a new meaning of reality, or rather, a questioning of what reality is. The new physics presented Europeans with a sense of uncertainty about their place in the universe and led to further backlash from the church, as well as the continued secularization of Europe. Socialism continued its expansion through European politics, highlighted in the movement for women's suffrage, most notably in places like Great Britain and France.
Meanwhile, a dangerous new take on scientific thought was born amongst the raging nationalism in Western Europe, primarily in Austria and Germany, in which Darwinist ideas of evolution mixed with racism to produce an intensely threatening take on anti-Semitism and white superiority that would find its reckoning in the next decades to come. Russia also had to deal with its delay into the modern world, this time in the form of peasant revolts and a humiliating loss against Japan, once again exposing Russia's weakness as an industrial power, while at the same time harboring the origins of the first communist revolution. But despite all the changes in Europe, they are small compared to the changes in Africa, China, Japan, the Middle East, and Pacific Islands, as they fell prey to European nations hellbent on colonization and exploitation, this time driven by economic industrial demands rather than "gold, guns, and glory" of the old days. As European nations competed to build empires in the Age of New Imperialism, Europe remained convinced it was taking on the "white man's burden", while the newly colonized people were hurled into the chaotic mix of European politics against their will.
Chapter 24 Slides for Spielvogel: An Age of Modernity, Anxiety, and Imperialism
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Chapter 24 Identifications:
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Chapter 24 Reading Packet
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Chapter 24 - RCQ
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Click here for documentary: Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds: Vienna, 1908.
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Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs -- or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France. When your steadfast opinions are tested, Galef asks: "What do you most yearn for? Do you yearn to defend your own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you possibly can?"
Imperialism and Responses to Imperialism!
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From The New York Times Opinion Page, The Interpreter: "National Identity is Made Up"