The Birth of Modernity

Paper Summary:

This paper defines the modernity movement as a philosophy that embraces practical ethics and values as the basic mechanisms for managing the complex forces of society and class toward the good of the whole. The writer of this paper traces the modernist movement back to 1865 and focuses on the Populist Party Platform which was the manifesto of modernist ideas, developed in response to conditions of the time. This paper also discusses why modernism has been a primary factor in the success of today's society and makes way for a continual evolution of ideology to fit contemporary needs.

From the Paper:

"The class struggle that resulted from the growth of the corporate segment in the Gilded Age brought into the forefront the newly formed Populist Party that promoted the welfare of the portions of society that had been omitted from the previous two-party political base. As industrialists enjoyed virtually unlimited power due to vast wealth and control of services that were necessary for the economic survival of the working class, those who comprised the working force fought for a bigger share in the economy. However, they stopped short of revolutionary ideologies that would threaten the system of big business on which they depended for their livelihoods. The farmers were at the brink of destruction because they were at the mercy of bankers, middlemen and the railroads."

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