1920 s Europe
Nietzsche (1844-1900) most influential after his death West has overemphasized rationality and stifled the authentic passions and animal instincts that drive human activity and true creativity Questioned the conventional values of society, painted a dark world Rejected Religion Warned that Western society was entering a period of nihilism- the philosophical idea that human life is entirely without meaning, truth, or purpose West was in decline According to Nietzsche, the only hope for the individual was to accept the meaninglessness of human existence and make that a source of liberation Separate from the thinking like the masses
Paul Valéry (1871-1945) was French poet and critic ultimate pessimist. He compared the war to a storm which has died but has left people anxious and uncertain.
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water Hooded hordes swarming Falling towers Jerusalem Athens Alexandria Vienna London Unreal
Logical Positivism Sees meaning in only those beliefs that can be empirically proven, and therefore rejects most of the concerns of traditional philosophy, from the existence of God to the meaning of happiness as nonsense Ludwig Wittgenstein Popular in UK and US
Existentialism Philosophy that stresses the meaninglessness of existence and the importance of the individual in searching for moral values in an uncertain world Placed great emphasis on the loneliness and meaninglessness of human existence in a godless world and the individual s need to come to terms with the fear caused by this situation Most were atheists Individuals are forced to create their own meaning and define themselves through their actions Will become popular in France after WWII and destruction of that war
The goal of human life is not death, but resurrection. Soren Kierkegaard Rejected notion that Christianity was an empty practice People must take a leap of faith and accept the existence of an objectively unknowable but majestic God Karl Barth and Gabriel Marcel Barth- human beings are imperfect, sinful creatures whose reason and will are hopelessly flawed People have to accept God s word with aw, tryst, and obedience, not reason or logic Marcel- found in the Catholic Church the answer to post-war broken world - Catholicism and religious belief provided the hope, humanity, honesty, and piety- also denounced anti-semitism and supported closer ties to non- Catholics
A label given to the artistic and cultural movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which were typified by the radical experimentation that challenged traditional forms of artistic expression Rejected old forms and old values
Promoters of modern architecture argued that buildings and living spaces in general should be ordered according to a new principle functionalism Le Corbuiser (Franco-Swiss architect) Should affirm and adopt latest technologies Find beauty in clean, straight lines of practical construction and efficient machinery Reject fancy ornamentation Bauhaus a German interdisciplinary school of fine and applied arts that brought together many leading modern architects, designers, and innovators
Dadaism Attacked all the familiar standards of art and delighted in outrageous behavior War had shown life was meaningless so art should be meaningless Tried to shock their audience with works and public performances that were insulting and entirely nonsensical
Marcel Duchamp: Fountain (1917)
Surrealists deeply influenced by Freudian psychology and portrayed images of the unconscious in their art Painted fantastic worlds of wild dreams and uncomfortable symbols Emphasis on imagination Revelations could be found on the street and in everyday life Hoped to reveal the contradictions in everyday world and spur on revolution
At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since. Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings. Each morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure - that of being Salvador Dali.
Salvador Dali: The Persistence of Memory (1931)
Salvador Dali: The Apparition of the Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1938)
Writers developed new techniques to express new realities Many authors adopted the limited, often confused viewpoint of a single individual Some novelists used the stream-of-consciousness technique Relying on internal monologues to explore the human psyche Virginia Woolf- In Jacob s Room William Faulkner- The Sound and the Fury James Joyce- Ulysses
Impact of mass-produced goods Modern appliances telephones, radios, refrigerators, electric ovens Fashionable clothing Department stores modern girl Criticism against the emerging consumer culture
Not until 1920 were first major public broadcasts of special events made in Britain and the US National broadcasting networks established Great Britain- BBC ( British Broadcasting Corporation) Like movies, well suited for political propaganda and manipulation
Composers and performers expressed the emotional intensity and shock of the age in radically experimental forms The Rite of Spring- Stravinsky (Russian 1882-1971) Caused a riot Ballet Pulsating rhythms, strangely dressed dancers shocked audiences
Wozzeck- Alban Berg Half-sung, half-spoken dialogue with harsh, atonal music Arnold Schönberg - abandoned traditional harmony and tonality Musical notes no longer united or organized in a key