Captain Planet, Habermas

This reading by Habermas was a tough one to get through. The reading was dense. There was a lot of important information to pick out of the text. The reading began by Habermas’ distinguishing between what the modern use to mean and what it has come to mean today. On page 100, Habermas says, “Modernity revolts against the normalizing functions of tradition; modernity lives on the experience of rebelling against all that is normative.” In this quote Habermas is stating that modernity goes against the rules of tradition. Even though the term modernity has been used for several decades now, the term continues to be redefined because the idea of ‘the new’ continues to evolve. The work of Jackson Pollock was considered modern for its time, yet Pollock’s first exhibits began showing nearly sixty years ago in the early 1950’s. And although he is a memorable painter with pieces still being shown is art museums like the MoMA and The Tate, new and more innovative artists have claimed the forefront of modern art. It is interesting to note the difference in Habermas and Lyotard. In the Lyotard reading that we did for last Thursday Lyotards said that artists who question the rules “are destined to have little credibility”; “they have no guarantee of an audience” (41). Although I haven’t fully grasped the meaning of the Habermas reading, I currently think that the two have opposing theories. Habermas is arguing in favor of the avant-garde and modernity whereas Lyotard is not in favor of it. Habermas states that, “Modernist culture has come to penetrate the values of everyday life; the life-world is infected by modernism. Because of the forces of modernism, the principle of unlimited self-realization, the demand for authentic self-experience and the subjectivism of a hyperstimulated sensitivity have come to be dominant” (100-101). I think what Habermas is saying here can be interpreted both positively and a negatively thing. Habermas is claiming that modernist culture is everywhere, and because of this, artists need to have lived experiences to create their sense of self in the world. Yet it is because of this media and modernity domination that the need for experiences and for self-realization is greater now than ever before. In conclusion, I am looking forward to getting to class tomorrow to determine the meaning of the Habermas reading.