Transcript The promise of modernity

GLOBALIZATION:
Our Fate and Hope
Radim Šíp
Masaryk Univeristy, Faculty of Education
[email protected]
A Structure of the Paper
1. Three Theses
2. A Historical Excursus
3. A Philosophical Excursus
4. What Shall We Do?
Three theses
1. The promise of democracy: many people live
relatively independent, autonomous live.
2. The promise of modernity: Self emerges from
relations. Many mutually balanced relations create
freedom. „Freedom In“.
3. The dark side of modernity: Quick and deep change
resulted in an inadequate reaction of Romanticism.
A Historical Eexcursus – literature
The parts of this section about life in rural society in the Middle ages and the Early modern
period are based on texts: van Dülmen, R. Kultura a každodenní život v ranném novověku.
[Culture and Everyday Life in the Early Modern Period]. Praha: Argo, 2006, pp. 13–59. Goetz,
H.-W. Život ve středověku [Life in the Middle Ages]. Jinočany: H&H, 2005. Cherubini, G.
“Rolník a zemědělství” [Peasant and Agriculture]. In: LeGoff, J. Středověký člověk a jeho svět.
[Medieval Men and Their World]. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1999, pp. 101-121. The parts about
medieval and early modern life in towns are based on texts: van Dülmen, R. Kultura a
každodenní život v ranném novověku. [Culture and Everyday Life in the Early Modern
Period]. Praha: Argo, 2006, pp. 61–121. Rossiaud, J. „Měšťan“ [Burgher]. In: LeGoff, J.
Středověký člověk a jeho svět. [Medieval Men and Their World]. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1999,
pp.123-156. The passages about Modern time societies are based on: Fontana, J. Evropa před
zrcadlem [Europe before the Mirror]. Praha: LN, 2001. Foucault, M. Dohlížet a trestat
[Discipline and Punish]. Praha: Dauphin, 2000. Gellner, E. Podmínky svobody. [The term sof
freedon]. Brno: CDK, 1997. Goody, J. Proměny rodiny v evropské historii. [Transformation of
family in the European History]. Praha: LN, 2006. Keller, J. Dějiny klasické sociologie
[History of Classic Sociology]. Praha: Slon, 2004. Keller, J. Úvod do sociologie [Introduction
to Sociology]. Praha: Slon 2001. Simmel, G. Peníze v moderní kultuře a jiné eseje [Money in
the Modern Culture and Other Essays]. Praha: Slon, 1997. And the passages about the late
modern societies are based on the texts: Beck, U. Co je to globalizace? Omyly a odpovědi.
[What is globalization. Misunderstandings and Answers]. Brno: CDK, 2007. Beck, U.
Riziková společnost. [World Risk Society]. Praha: Slon, 2004. Giddens, A. Unikající svět. Jak
globalizace mění náš život [Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives].
Praha: Slon, 2000.
A Historical Eexcursus
• The rural traditional society = dependence on land 
political inactive, social rigid, and unchangable
versus
•The town life = dependence on commerce  many
relations, many abstract bonds, the to be calculable and
legible for others  the lab of the modern time live
The shift to the modern society = emergence of the
conditions for the modern type of individuality  the
conditions for democracy
A Philosophical Excursus
John Dewey: Publics and Its Problems
Dewey:
1) abolition of individuality = result of many social
movements, society in change thanks to „powers of
steam and electricity“
2) the libertarian explanation of the relation I <–>S =
the ideology; political construction intentionaly built
-> psychology (isolated consciousness), economy
(natural law of production and exchange)
3) IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE IN SOCIETY,
THERE MUST BE CHANGE IN
INDIVIDUALITY AND VICE VERSA (intelligent
reconstruction of conditions)  TASKS
What Shall We Do?
5 theses:
1. We need know history for understanding conditons,
not for a help.
2. Nationalism was a tool for solvation of the matter of
the modern society.
3. It was the inappropriate tool.
4. Disappearing of national „certainty“ is a chance, not
a danger.
5. Identity is a malleable function of adjsuting of
individual and society. The loose identy is more
useful than rigid one in the late modern society.
What Shall We Do?
An example: Liessmann´s Theory of Uneducation
Criticisms is RIGHT: PISA, ELTC mechanism,
standardization of forms and contents of univrsity
education.
Determination of the core of problem is WRONG:
The Myth of the Humboldtian Bildung (= a display of
the Romantic nostalgia).
Thank you for your attention