Elmo, 9/20

This week in class really helped me to solidify some of the terms and concepts we have been learning about this year. From class I have realized that there is not one way to explain anything in life and that there is always more to learn. Modernity has finally begun to make more sense to me because at first I was pretty confused about its significance. A quote from Habermas about modernity which I feel really captures the whole concept is, “the idea of being ‘modern’…changed with the belief, inspired by modern science, in the infinite progress of knowledge…” (99). This is saying that the whole tenant of modernism is that there is an infinite pool of knowledge and we are always seeking to find out more; things are always getting brighter and better.

Another concept which became much more clear to me this week was binary opposition and the fact that modern advancements can both help and hinder us as a society. An example of this is how technology has become so advanced and helps us so much in our everyday lives with computers and cell phones but it also hinders us with inventions such as weapons of mass destruction. So while, yes, these things are modern and new and exciting, are they really going to be beneficial in the long run?

Lastly, I really enjoyed our class period in which we compared all the forms of architecture. I found it extremely interesting and a great way to relate Jencks reading. The way that different forms of architecture incorporate the old and the new helped me to understand that the old and the new can be found in most things. The terms traditional and classic are combined with modern in order to form new types of architecture around the world. Its funny that the old can be incorporated with the new to make something which is considered “modern”. While the term modern still seems a little arbitrary I am beginning to understand it much better and am now able to understand many of the theorists thoughts behind the word.