Definitions HQ

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a force which for a long time had the power to represent, to accelerate, or to summarize. Today it is much less than an essence, but still much more than an illusion.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a phantasm, because the strict opposition between nature and society, object and subject, body-thing and mind which characterize modernity, characterise the ideological self-understanding but not the praxis of modernity.

Modernity (n.) began ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠when the domain of knowledge was split between the knowledge of people on the one hand (politics) and knowledge of things on the other (science).

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an aspiration toward a concept, which, paradoxically, excludes itself from realization. It is the insight into a homogeneous set of principles that exclude realization.

Modernity (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as Kant has already stated, a certain way of thinking, a perspective on the world that is also a perspective toward one's self.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠based on the production of mixtures of nature and culture which are forcefully separated to create two entirely distinct areas of research: That of human beings on the one hand... that of nonhumans on the other, natural science on the one hand, and cultural sciences on the other.W.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠built upon a logic of oppositions that collapse in daily practice (i.e. Nature/culture).

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠built upon wrong-headed distinction between nature and culture which never existed. It is much more than an illusion, much less than an essence: Rather a force that had the power to represent.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠characterized by two sets of practices: Translation and purification. The first creates mixtures between entirely new types of beings, hybrids of nature and culture, whereas the second creates two entirely distinct ontological zones: That of human beings on the one hand... that of non humans on the other.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠internally inconsistent if not outright contradictory. Importantly, we have always been at home in the non-modern world, living comfortably with hybrid combinations of natural and social objects-subjects.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only a story that the west tells itself about itself, it's a story which always denies that it's context-dependent: It's a story which always claims that the knowledge that it's producing is universal and applies everywhere.

Modernity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the result of humanism or secularization or science and technology, but precisely this juggling act, a passel of opposites held in tension in the checks and balances of modernity's trope, constitutionalism.

Modernity (n.) comes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in as many versions as there are thinkers or journalist, yet all its definitions point, in one way or another, to the passage of time. The adjective 'modern' designates a new regime, an acceleration, a rupture, a revolution in time.