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Revised Paper On German Modernism

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The Significance of Modernity
Throughout time, nations have attempted to become independent from one another by discovering means, which would help their citizens experience more fulfilling lives. The dilemma that troubled each of these countries is whether or not innovations, in technology and society, led to a higher quality of life. Modris Eckstein and Marshall Berman examine both, the damages and benefits of modernity. Eckstein looks at individual changes that lead to the overall acceptance of modernity. He examines Germany, and how the lives of every citizen was altered following the revolutionary changes of the first half of the 20th century. Marshall Berman, on the other hand, assesses modernity as an all-encompassing …show more content…

This newfound approach to German sexuality was due to a youth movement, which believed restrictions on sexuality were simply not warranted. “There was a new emphasis in general on leibeskultur, or body culture, on an appreciation of the human body devoid of social taboos or restrictions? Tolerance of homosexuals is a prime example of modernism because this approach was truly ahead of its time. One can make this deduction because homosexuals were shunned in all other European countries throughout this era. Although Germans did not collectively approve of homosexuality, their over-all measure of tolerance was unlike any other.
As opposed to Modris Eckstein, Marshall Berman looks at modernity as an encompassing characteristic of society, which affects every facet of its populace. Bermans text, All That is Solid Melts Into Air, is not a historical account (A contrast to Ecksteins novel) , but rather an assessment of what modernism achieved in the societies, which embraced it. “The broad and open way enables us to see all sorts of artistic, intellectual, religious and political activities as part of one dialectical process? Berman supports his argument by informing the reader of two specific incidents in Brazil and the United States, where modernism affected the whole population.
Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer designed Brasilia (The capitol of Brazil) with the belief that a new age motif would bring prosperity to the city. According to Berman, this modern plan backfired

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