Dramatic changes in humanities

Dramatic changes in humanities

Humanities have undergone some dramatic changes. From their classical disciplines, they are transformed into national art, national literature, and national past. During the 18th century, there was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason over the belief of superstitions (Khan Academy). John Locke and Isaac Newton were among the first Thinkers to embrace knowledge and disseminate ideas on openness. This was a significant turning point for western civilization since the concepts are seen and relevant in the 21st century. Several ideas dominated this movement in ideas including;

Ø Rationalism- The understanding that people can use their instinct of reason to acquire knowledge.

Ø Empiricism- Advocates the concept that knowledge is gained from experiencing and examining the world.

Ø Progressivism- the belief that through their ability to reason, people can make advancements over time.

Ø Cosmopolitanism– humans viewed themselves as an open-minded individual rather than rigid people. They were ruled by reason, not biasness.

By 1900 the world was being transformed by all the discoveries, technological advances, and inventions. Electricity, the automobile, the airplane, radio, x-rays, and the incandescent light bulb revolutionized the world. Wrestling developed a new extravagance in the field of art. AS times change, the art breaks all the boundaries while trying to accommodate the technological and theoretical developments that have changed the way of life as a whole. As a result, art has changed; the artistic standard of art has evolved from the mimesis, the literal representation of the appearance of nature, society, and people.

The twentieth century was the most violent era in history, experiencing the world wars and the cold war. Dictators such as Hitler, Idi Amin, and Mussolini enforces intense political systems that caused starvation and genocide. On the other hand, the 20th century was recorded as the era for the fight for human rights and the growth of universal capitalization. Previously, the artist worked under the supervision of wealthy patrons associated with the state or church, but in this era, they became part of the retail economy. Art was now seen as personal self-expression. Although artists used similar artistic styles over a long time in the 19th and through the 20th century, successive forms of art changed.

IDEOLOGY AND POLITICS

In the past years, people viewed the world based on a set of assumptions. One was that humans could be improved by imposing regulations and punishments. Secondly, they believed that the power of the national government could be utilized to develop an individual and change society. However, the hypothesis became unrealistic for political conservatives (Khan Academy). Jane Adams, one of the famous progressive reformers, founded a house in Chicago, which helped immigrants to adjust to the new life in the USA. Ida Tarbell uncovered the illegal business operations of standard oil and became the first to come up with investigative journalism. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson expanded the power of the national government to impose regulations on private organizations and enforce the protection of employees and consumers. Then came reformers who changed the implementation of significant legislation, including few amendments to the US constitution. The 16th amendment settled the national income tax, the 17th enabled the direct election of senators, 18th banned the sales of alcohol, and the 19th amendment allowed women to vote.

ARTWORK

Artwork made since the 1960s shows our past; it reflects the political, social, and technological changes over the last 50 years. The artwork today is unique in many ways; however, the main reason is the fact that it’s diverse. Art cannot be easily interpreted through its visual characteristics, its themes, or the culture it represents. In the 1900s, the major art movements are minimalism and pop art, which offered different directions of the art world in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The movements resisted the assumptions of the art’s creative characteristics and the necessity for authenticity. Minimalist objects take their form from materials that lack surface details and lack an apparent meaning. Pop Art derived it from sources such as comic books, advertisements, and movies. Both techniques use the degrading methods which eliminate emotional attachments entailed by the artist approach. Both art movements dimmed the line differentiating the beautiful art from typical aspects of life and allowed the viewers to determine the art’s place and purpose in the world. However, the minimalist paved the way for artists to explore concerns about the nature of art and its formation. During the late 1960s and 1970s, these ideas resulted in the dematerialization of art.

Surrealism- The surrealism movement rose after the fading of World War I. It was a long-lasting movement that expounded on the human ego. It was first created by artist such as Salvador Dali, it followed on the steps of a famous psychologist. Strange paintings characterized surrealism with dream-like features. To date, the artwork in this movement is fascinating to look at and study. Surrealism movement brought the gentle art movement, which dug deeper into people’s consciousness, preference, and emotion.

Pop Art- Pop art movement emerged during the 1950s. The artistic styles in this movement aimed at communicating effectively to the viewers. Among the first artists in this movement was Roy Lichtenstein, he used his artwork for commercial purposes. Roy expressed his emotions and ideas in his artwork, which appealed to the viewers since they could understand and relate to the art. A Pop Art movement is the most recognized in the twentieth century as it grew. Artists such as Andy Warhol emerged and became popular for his art, similar to Roy Lichtenstein’s.

Neo-expressionism and feminism- After the superrealism movement crumbled, the Neo-expressionism and the feminist movements desired to conjure with their works of art (Shanna). This movement reflected the return of art from the 1940s and the futurism; however, the art didn’t have the same energy and angry feel it had. The artistic styles in this movement were cautious, emotional, and expressed something.

Performance art- In the late twentieth century, art was characterized the advanced technology through the increased use of computers. The techniques were used radically in movies and video games. Art was mostly commercial before the dawn of the 21st century. The art working was made in that they captured the attention of the buyer.

CULTURE

Art historians share responsibility for the successful maintenance of instruction in humanities and the general history of civilization (Schmeckebier). The modern era of culture dates way back in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, where the majority of the revolutions shaped the society and the world. During this period, there was an extended conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics. The battle helped in the growth of prominent European sovereignty. Also, in this same period, countries grew in wealth, freedom, and national borders were hardened. Colonization also took place where the Europeans power was divided and exploited people and their resources for their benefit.

The middle class emerged and began their long campaigns to achieve a political strength and challenge the control of the elite and the kingship. Subsequent reform movements and renovations extended the franchise. Previously, consent was only granted to men who had land or paid a specific amount of levy. It wasn’t until the mid 19th and 20th centuries that the universal assent became a culture in Europe.

Capitalism became the primary commercial system over the late 19th century through the 20th century and 21st. People used capital to manufacture goods in the monetary-based market; it depended on inexpensive labor. The labor ultimately formed into unions, and through this, they upheld a significant authority. The political power which was widely shared was enhanced by the general increase in the ways of living and the first attempts in public education. Over time machines that used steam and trained artisans replaced unqualified employees in industries.