Philosophy is a result of questioning the reality around us. It is the system that studies
the fundamental implications of the world to arrive at an answer. Albeit, not the truth, it
is an answer that helps us arrive at a conclusion. Due to this inherent nature of
philosophy, it being a mental process, it is only natural for it to be affected by factors
that is beyond the mind. Culture, traditions, beliefs, experiences, and the overall state of
the world are examples of factors that mold philosophy and pushes it to transform and
accommodate the current need for answers. This is where the distinction between
Modern Philosophy and Post-modern Philosophy takes place. It begins when different
people in different places with different mindsets wonder about the intricacies of the
world and express it through their own means.
The period at which a branch of philosophy arises is critical in determining the
differences of the two. Modernistic philosophy became prevalent in the late 19 th to early
20th century, wherein the world was greatly affected by the first world war. Cultures
began seeking for modernization which led to the global spread of consumerism and
materialism. As an effect, philosophy shifted to a more rapid, objective, and logical
status. It rejected realism and utilized other, more functional means to gain knowledge.
This is due, partly to the improvement of the educational system, and partly due to the
quickly changing world during that time. Modernists use centralized knowledge to arrive
at a certain truth and often answers questions with a hint of positivism. When a modern
philosopher thinks deeply, he commits himself to clear and generic boundaries, that of
which, with the help of science and technology, he arrives at a conclusion supported
with a knowledgeable basis. Modernists such as Descartes, who is the father of modern
philosophy, strived for linear simplicity. His works are grounded on the knowledge that a
human exists with both a mind and a body and uses that as a groundwork for his
philosophy, Cogito ergo sum.
Post-modernism began from the mid-twentieth century due to the effect, again, of
another world war. The world, after having experienced its second greatest disaster,
began to be skeptical and pessimistic. Philosophy gradually experienced a dramatic
evolution towards subjectivism and all sort of logical and rational thinking was thrown
out the window. Post-modernists rely on experiences and individuality. The answers to
life’s questions are subjective and differ from each person. Post-modernists believe that
there is no universal truth, there is simply an individual truth. One that cannot be
measured or sought with any scientific or systematic method as compared to
modernism.
To conclude, modernist and post-modernist philosophy are both valid studies of the
human psyche. Despite having differences in their own respective views, and vary in the
methods that they use, it cannot be doubted that they mirror the events of the world
around us. What the world feels, we feel. What we feel, we extensively philosophize
about.