Nation Building and Cultural Ferment
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Community College of Rhode Island *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
1020
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
2
Uploaded by BaronTitaniumDeer29
1.) What was Positivism? How did the ideas and work of people like Freud, the Curies, and
Einstein challenge the certainties of Positivism?
Positivism was a theory in the 19th century thought by Auguste Comte that claimed that careful
study of observable facts would generate accurate, useful, or “positive” laws of society
(Ch22
From Natural Sciences to Social Sciences page 820
). The discovery of radiation by Curies and
Becquerel challenged this theory because radiation was not visible or solid.
(Nineteenth-Century
Culture and Thought 31:55)
. It implied that there was something emitting energy that we
couldn't explain using this theory. Einstein's theory of general relativity challenged this because
it claimed that space and time were not absolute and that time was based on position and
movement
(Nineteenth-Century Culture and Thought 35:20)
. Freud challenged the unconscious
mind, which is not directly observed.
(Nineteenth Century Thought/Culture Slides, Slide 19)
2.) What were Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism? How were they linked to the concerns
of their respective eras?
Romanticism was an artistic and literary movement that encompassed various forms of
expression, such as poetry, music, and literature. Its main focus was on celebrating nature,
emotions, genius, and imagination, which were seen as remedies to the Enlightenment and
classicism in the arts. This movement challenged the traditional emphasis on reason, symmetry,
and geometric spaces and instead emphasized the importance of feelings and creativity.
(Ch20;
Romanticism pg 733).
Realism emerged as an art style in the 19th century and was primarily focused on portraying
society in a realistic manner, without any romantic or idealistic exaggerations. Scholars
suggested scientific theories that offered a cold and hard view of human life in society,
challenging both idealistic and strong religious beliefs.
(Ch22 The Culture of the Social Order pg
815).
Impressionism was an art style that emerged in the late 19th century and aimed to depict the
sensation of light in images, influenced by Japanese art, and in contrast to the realism of
photographs. Impressionism sought to portray the feeling of light in pictures, with an inspiration
from Japanese art, and as opposed to the photographic realism of that time.
(Imperial Society and
Culture pg. 853)
3.) What are some of the ways the Catholic Church responded to the new ideas of the nineteenth
century?
One way that the catholic church responded to the new ideas was by passing the doctrine of
immaculate conception, which spread the idea that miracles existed and were an important part
of the human state. Which led to a burst of religious fervor.
(Nineteenth-Century Culture and
Thought 24:25)
Another response was the
Syllabus of Errors
which responded to progress,
modernism and liberalism and defined the church's stance. Among these errors was the belief
that every man is free to embrace the religion they believed in, the Commonwealth is not held
back by any limits, Men in any religion shall find salvation, the promotion of public schools, and
The Roman Pontiff should reconcile himself to agree with modernism.
(Nineteenth Century
Thought/Culture Slides, Slide 13)
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help