N O T E B O O K #15
Modern European Thought
AP European History
Mr. Konecke
Name______________________________
Period____
1
Project #15 – The Story of Your Life
Introduction:
Sigmund Freud thought that making sense of our past—especially, the events of our childhood—would help
us to resolve present conflicts and open up more possibilities for ourselves in the future.
Directions:
You will write a short story about yourself. The story should show you in the past, the present, and the future.
That is, you should include:
 A scene from your early childhood
 A scene about a conflict in your current life
 A scene from your imagined future in which the conflict
is resolved and elements of the first two scenes are also
present
 In short, all three scenes must be related to one another
(for example, talk about an important moment from your
childhood that is affecting you now and how you will
resolve this issue in the future based on who you are
and the things you’ve experienced)
Each scene must be at least one full page in length and must be
interrelated (it is clear the same person is going through all three
stages). Your story must also contain a cover, title, and name on
the front.
Options:
1. Each scene must be at least one full page in length (but you
can certainly write more)
2. You may write or type your story (written – single-spaced,
typed – double-spaced)
3. You may write about anything from your life that you want – just keep it school appropriate
4. You may keep it 100% factual or you can focus on your feelings and opinions – it’s up to you
Grade:
1. One detailed page describing an important moment from your childhood explaining why it is important and
how it affects you now – 50 points
2. One detailed page describing a current problem you are having or have had in the recent past and
explaining how the current problem might have something to do with your childhood – 50 points
3. One detailed page describing your future and explaining how you solved the problem based on what you
learned from your past – 50 points
4. Original title of your story and cover design – 25 points
5. Creativity and effort demonstrated in your story, title, and cover – 25 points
Due Date:
_____________________________________________
NOTEBOOK #15: MODERN EUROPEAN THOUGHT
1. The New Reading Public
Advances in Primary Education

Literacy on Continent improved steadily from 1860s on as governments paid for education
o
o

But rate was much lower in southern & eastern Europe – 30-60%
New primary education in basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic) generated social change
o
2
o

Also hoped literacy would make workforce more productive
Literacy soon became force itself
o
o
But literate Europeans soon realized better jobs were only open to those who could afford better education

Reading Material for the Masses

o
Newspapers, books, magazines, catalogs, & libraries grew

Cheap newspapers (Le Petit Journal in Paris & Daily Mail & Daily Express in London) became popular


Other papers had special political or religious viewpoints
o
Monthly journals for women, families, and intellectuals all increased
o
Focused on crime stories, political scandals, and advertising
o
Pornography was popular

o
o

These stories could be managed (and censored in Central Europe)
New education, new readers, and new books and journals popularized knowledge
o
Literacy also led to other skills and knowledge
2. Science at Midcentury
Comte, Positivism, and the Prestige of Science

Early 1800s, science was model for all human knowledge
o
French philosopher Auguste Comte developed positivism –
o
Comte argued that human thought developed in 3 stages:

1. Theological stage – physical nature explained in terms of actions of gods or spirits

2.

3. Positive stage – explanations of nature became matters of exact descriptions of phenomena
3

Comte argued that science had entered the positive stage
o

He is called the father of sociology
o
Comte helped convince Europeans that all knowledge must resemble scientific knowledge
o
Writers argued that science – not religion – could explain all knowledge of nature
o
More and more people tried to get governments to support science in research & schools

The Birth of Science Fiction

1800s, authors told tales of voyages to space and beneath earth
o

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was Verne’s most popular work

The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds are some of his most
popular stories
o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv1EaierSJw&feature=related
Directions: After watching a scene from the film based on the story of H.G. Wells, answer a few questions about it and science fiction
below. Worth 14 points.
1. What does the main character witness in the lab that is shocking to him?
2. What is really going on at this island?
3. When the “father” shows up, how is he treated?
4. Why do the creatures refer to the man in white as their “father?”
5. How does modern science (and morality) view such kinds of experiments?
6. Why do you think such “science” is viewed by society as immoral? What’s wrong with it?
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7. Charles Darwin believed that nature evolved over time to adapt to its environment. Things able to adapt survived and those that
couldn’t became extinct. Would Darwin agree or disagree with the creation of the creatures on Dr. Moreau’s island? Explain.
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection

1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species
o
He did not invent idea of evolution
o

Explained how species had changed or evolved over time

o
Organisms with an advantage live long enough to procreate

This principle of survival of the fittest was called natural selection


It was natural – there was no guiding force behind it
Darwin could not explain what gave certain organisms strengths to survive

o
Eyes were not made for seeing according to God’s wisdom

They developed mechanically over time

It also undermined arguments for existence of God and the design of the universe
o

Idea that nature was constantly changing led people to believe that society, values, and
beliefs should change


o
He argued human’s morals and religious ideas, as well as their physical appearance, had developed
naturalistically in order to survive
o
These ideas were seen as a blow to pride of human beings
Darwin’s theories were controversial from the start
o
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o
Evolution was generally accepted by late 1800s, but not natural selection
Science and Ethics

Science came to have new importance in social thought and ethics
o
Philosophers applied idea of struggle for survival to human social relationships


Spencer believed society progresses through competition


Struggle between human beings became necessary
o
These ideas could justify not helping the poor or dominating colonized people
o

Main opponent of this thinking was Thomas Henry Huxley
o
Huxley argued that evolution was at odds with human ethical development

Directions: Read Darwin’s theory of natural selection below and then how some people throughout history have used his ideas (and
twisted them) to their own advantage. Answer the questions as you go. Worth 18 points.
In his theory of natural selection, Darwin made the following observations:
1. The resources of an environment are limited. Creatures produce more offspring than can possibly survive. Members of
a species must compete for limited resources and for survival.
2. No two members of a species are exactly alike. Each organism contains an individual combination of inherited traits.
Some traits are useful for survival; other traits are not.
3. Organisms that have useful traits reproduce in greater numbers. Their offspring inherit the traits. Organisms with
unfavorable traits eventually die off. The fittest survive.
4. Nature selects different traits at different times. Varieties within a species gradually create a new species.
The publication of this theory started a sensational controversy. Many writers applied Darwin's theory to sociology. They developed a
controversial theory called Social Darwinism. Many people, from Karl Marx to Captain Mahan to Adolf Hitler, employed Social Darwinism
in their arguments.
1. How can people with vastly different viewpoints use the same argument to defend their views?
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Within the human species, nations are locked in a struggle for survival. Everywhere, civilized nations are supplanting barbarous nations.
Advanced civilization, obviously, has inherited valuable traits from its ancestors. Underdeveloped cultures, except in hostile climates, will
soon die off. Therefore, natural order obligates powerful, civilized nations to appropriate the limited resources of the weak.
2. Read the basic argument for Social Darwinism above. Does it adhere to the principles of Darwin's theory? Why or why not?
The two great ideas of mankind are Christianity and civil liberty. The Anglo-Saxon civilization is the great representative of these two great
ideas. Add to this the fact of his rapidly increasing strength in modern times, and we have a demonstration of his destiny. There can be no
doubt that North America is to be the great home of Anglo-Saxon power. It is not unlikely that before the close of the next century, this
race will outnumber all other civilized races of the earth. But the widening waves of migration meet today on its Pacific coast. The
unoccupied arable lands of the world are limited and will soon be taken. The time is coming when the pressure of population will . . . force
the final competition of races. The United States will assert itself, having developed aggressive traits necessary to impress its institutions
upon mankind. Can anyone doubt that the result of this competition will be the survival of the fittest?
3. Josiah Strong, an influential American clergyman, wrote this argument for expansion in 1897. Is it logical?
4. How does it differ from the previous passage? Does it follow Darwin's line of reasoning?
5. What are the dangers of Social Darwinism to less developed countries and peoples?
6. What are the dangers of Social Darwinism to more developed countries and peoples?
3. Christianity and the Church Under Siege
Intellectual Skepticism

o
Philosophes of Enlightenment loved pointing out flaws in Bible
o
1800s saw new attacks on Christianity
History

1835, David Friedrich Strauss published The Life of Jesus
o

He argued story of Jesus was myth
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
o

Strauss was not only author to question existence of Jesus
Latter 1850s, various scholars argued that human authors had written & revised books of the Bible with
problems of Jewish society and politics in mind
o

This caused the increasingly-literate population to lose faith in Christianity
Science

o
This was particularly cruel since many 1700s writers had led Christians to believe that scientific
examination of nature strengthened their faith
o
By explaining floods, mountains, and valleys by natural causes, scientists removed God from
creation of earth

o
Directions: Below are the basic beliefs on the origins of life and how it has evolved over time – creationism and evolution. Read the basic
ideas below and answer the questions at the end by filling in YEC or TE in the space provided. Worth 15 points.
__________1. Believe the earth was created 6,000-10,000 years ago
__________2. Believe the earth was created 4.5 billion years ago
__________3. Believe the first humans appeared 50,000-200,000 years ago
__________4. Support the Big Bang Theory of how the universe was creation
__________5. Believe that all life was created by God
__________6. Argues that the speed of light is constant
__________7. Argues that the speed of light must have changed at some point
__________8. Denies the validity of radiometric dating whenever rocks are dated beyond 10,000 years ago
__________9. Argue that any fossils that appear to be older than 10,000 years came from Noah’s flood
__________10. Believe dinosaurs died off about 65 million years ago
__________11. Argue that dinosaurs lived alongside modern man
__________12. Believe dinosaurs died off because of a meteor creating a giant dust cloud
__________13. Believe dinosaurs may still exist in some remote parts of the world
__________14. Argue that DNA research demonstrates man’s shared characteristics with some animals
__________15. Argue that a worldwide flood destroyed all living creatures 10,000 years ago
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YOUNG-EARTH
CREATIONISM (YEC)
THEISTIC
EVOLUTION (TE)
Universe: 6,000-10,000 y.o.
Earth: 6,000-10,000 y.o.
Earliest life forms: 6,000-10,000 y.o.
Pre-humans/hominids: n/a
Mod. Humans: 6,000-10,000 y.o.
Universe: 13.7 billion y.o.
Earth: 4.5 billion y.o
Earliest life forms: 3+ billion y.o.
Pre-humans/hominids: 3-7 mil. y.o.
Mod. Humans: 50,000-200,000 y.o.
YEC VIEW - Re:
THE FORMATION OF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE
TE VIEW - Re:
THE FORMATION OF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE
Against overwhelming evidence that the Big Bang
occurred billions of years ago, argues that the earth and
the universe are only 6,000 - 10,000 years old. Interprets
all evidence in light of a traditional / literal understanding
of Scripture, specifically that in the space of 6 literal days
(144 hours), the entire known universe was spoken into
existence, the earth was created, and all life forms,
including humans, were created on earth — within the last
10,000 years.
Recognizes evidence indicating that the Big Bang
occurred around 13.7 billion years ago, when all matter
exploded into the universe — from what is believed to
have been an infinitesimal speck. Our sun, a star itself,
formed over time (through the observable process of star
formation), and eventually spun off the matter that formed
the planets of our solar system, including earth, about 4.5
billion years ago.
YEC VIEW - Re: LIFE / HUMANS
TE VIEW - Re: LIFE / HUMANS
Argues that 6,000 - 10,000 years ago — during the 6 days
(144 hours) of Creation — all life, including man, was
created by God. Man was specifically created in the
image of God, with a soul, and the unique ability to
commune with God. No death occurred before the
creation of man, and no evolution from one species to
another has ever occurred throughout the history of
time. Argues that — apart from God's miraculous
intervention — life cannot come from non-life, and order
cannot spring from disorder, two principles that are
normally upheld by science, except when it pertains to
naturalistic evolution. Proponents of YEC also point out
that macro-evolution (between species), as opposed to
micro-evolution (changes in the same species) has also
never been observed in nature, apart from so-called
transitional fossils.
As the earth cooled around 4 billion years ago, the
earliest life forms evolved; and over billions of years, God
used the process of evolution to create all life forms,
including man. At some point, God placed a soul into a
pre-human / hominid to 'create' the first man. Uncertainty
exists as to whether or not other 'humans' existed before
the 'first man,' or whether the biblical Adam was indeed
the first man or not. Death would necessarily have
occurred prior to the 'evolutionary creation' of man. Some
proponents argue that — apart from God's miraculous
intervention — life cannot come from non-life, and order
cannot spring from disorder, two principles that are
normally upheld by science, except when it pertains to
naturalistic evolution. Macro-evolution (between
species), as opposed to micro-evolution (changes in the
same species) has never been observed in nature, apart
from so-called transitional fossils.
YEC VIEW - Re:
STARS / STARLIGHT / SPEED OF LIGHT
TE VIEW - Re:
STARS / STARLIGHT / SPEED OF LIGHT
Argues the speed of light must have changed (slowed
down), or that there must be some other explanation to
disprove the overwhelmingly clear science indicating
that most stars are 1-10 billion years old (and some are
over 13 billion years old), since proponents of this view
believe the universe cannot be older than 6,000 - 10,000
years old. Any change in the fixed speed of light over any
Recognizes the speed of light as constant, and
acknowledges the overwhelmingly clear science
indicating most stars are 1-10 billion years old, and some
are over 13 billion years old. Outside the young-earth
creationist community, the estimated age of stars is
universally accepted. In 1997, the Hubble Space
Telescope photographed an exploding supernova — an
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period of time would have had enormous consequences
on our universe. Also, as Dr. Norman Geisler observed,
"We have watched star explosions that happened billions
of years ago, but if the universe is not billions of years
old, then we are seeing light from stars that never existed
— because they would have died before Creation. Why
would God deceive us with the evidence? The old earth
view seems to fit the evidence better and causes no
problem with the Bible."
event that actually took place 10 billion years ago, but
whose light is just now reaching us. The Hubble
Telescope can see stars as they were approx. 10 billion
years ago, with glimpses of stars even further back. The
next generation deep-space telescope (launching in 2013)
is expected to see stars as they were 13.2 billion years
ago, estimated to have formed only a few hundred million
years after the Big Bang.
YEC VIEW - Re:
RADIOMETRIC DATING
TE VIEW - Re:
RADIOMETRIC DATING
Denies the reliability of all forms of radiometric dating,
whenever any rocks are dated beyond 6,000 - 10,000
years old. Proponents of this view dismiss the reliability
of radiometric dating, claiming that measurements can
vary widely and be contradictory. While this is true to an
extent, only young-earth creationists — in a community of
otherwise unanimous scientific agreement — even
remotely consider radiometric dating to be fundamentally
flawed. When geologists use multiple independent tests
to confirm their results, variation has little if any bearing
on the final conclusions. Finding even one geologist
outside the young-earth creationist community who
disputes the overall findings of radiometric dating is
virtually impossible.
Accepts the general reliability of radiometric (rock)
dating, which indicates that rocks on earth can be dated
up to 4 billion years old.
Radiometric dating is equivalent to reading the 'clocks in
the rocks.' Eight different radioactive elements are used
to determine the age of the rocks containing them. The
'parent element,' gradually decays into a 'daughter
element.' In the case of uranium, it gradually decays into
lead. Geologists simply grind the rock into powder,
remove any contaminated portions, and separate the
uranium from the lead. Since the decay rate is constant,
geologists can then determine the approximate age of the
rock. Geologists use as many as four or more
independent radiometric dating methods to determine the
age of rocks in a given area. The general reliability of
radiometric dating is universally accepted among
geologists, excluding only young-earth creationists.
YEC VIEW - Re: THE FOSSIL RECORD
TE VIEW - Re: THE FOSSIL RECORD
Denies that fossils exist showing any age greater than
6,000 - 10,000 years. Proponents generally believe the
majority of fossils appearing to be millions of years old
were created during Noah's Flood. Proponents also deny
that fossils provide support for evolution between
species, especially due to the overwhelming lack of
transitional fossils that have been found to date.
Upholds the scientific consensus that fossils exist
showing that life has existed on earth for millions of years
— actually billions of years, in the case of the earliest life
forms. Asserts that the relatively small number of fossils
that can (even remotely) be classified as transitional
fossils do indeed provide adequate proof of evolution
between species — arguing that because such rare /
specialized conditions must exist for fossilization to
occur, that it is no surprise more transitional fossils have
not been found.
YEC VIEW - Re: DINOSAURS
TE VIEW - Re: DINOSAURS
Denies all evidence indicating otherwise, in arguing that
dinosaurs were created during 6 literal days of Creation,
6,000 - 10,000 years ago. Dinosaurs therefore lived
concurrently with humans, and died out sometime in the
last 10,000 years. Some proponents of young-earth
creationism actually believe that dinosaurs may still exist
in remote, largely unexplored regions of the world.
Along with all the other animals, dinosaurs evolved over
time — as part of a process that was engineered, and/or
guided by God. Affirms evidence indicating that
dinosaurs lived from around 210 million years ago
until around 65 million years ago, when they died out,
long before the arrival of humans or pre-humans /
hominids. Current research postulates that dinosaurs
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became extinct due to suffocation, following a giant
meteor striking the earth, which resulted in a dust cloud
blanketing the planet.
YEC VIEW - Re: DNA RESEARCH
TE VIEW - Re: DNA RESEARCH
Denies that human DNA shows evidence of 'shared
ancestry' / gene artifacts that 'descended' from animals to
humans over millions of years. Since DNA research is
considered to be in a constant state of flux at this time,
conclusions in this field are ever-changing. In early 2007,
it was announced that Neanderthal and other hominid
species (which Young-Earth Creationists consider to be
either 'fully' human or ape species) have now been
completely ruled out as ancestors of modern humans.
Argues that human DNA appears to show evidence of
'shared ancestry' / gene artifacts that 'descended' from
animals to humans over millions of years. (See notes on
'junk DNA' and 'Mitochondrial Eve' and 'Y-Chromosomal
Adam' in the OEC column.) Since DNA research is
considered to be in a constant state of flux at this time,
conclusions in this field are ever-changing. In early 2007,
it was announced that Neanderthal and other hominid
species have now been completely ruled out as ancestors
of modern humans.
YEC VIEW - Re: NOAH'S FLOOD
TE VIEW - Re: NOAH'S FLOOD
Affirming the literalist understanding of the biblical
record, argues that a worldwide flood occurred within the
last 6,000 - 10,000 years, in which all land creatures were
destroyed, including the entire human population. This
view contradicts geological evidence indicating that no
worldwide flood has ever occurred in the history of planet
earth (and that there isn't enough water on earth to do
so). Also contradicts genetic research showing that no
'population bottleneck' of this magnitude — a total
population reduction to only a few people — has ever
occurred in the history of 'modern humans,' especially
not in the last 10,000 years.
Among theistic evolutionists, perspectives vary as to
whether or not the biblical flood ever occurred, or
whether the story was meant to be understood merely in
an allegorical sense.
Morality

o
The morality of Old Testament God – his cruelty and unpredictability – did not fit with the tolerant,
rational values of liberals
o
They also questioned morality of God in New Testament – he sacrificed the most perfect human
being for his own satisfaction

Clergy even began to question the doctrines they were preaching

o
Christianity required useless and debilitating sacrifice of flesh & spirit instead of heroic living
o
Everyday life became more and more secular throughout Europe

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Conflict Between Church and State

Secular state of 1800s clashed with Protestant and Catholic churches
o

Main area of conflict between church and state was education
o
Previously, most education in Europe was done by clergy
o
Great Britain

o
Earlier governments had given only small grants to religious schools

New schools were to be built where there were little or no religious schools

France

France had dual system of Catholic and public schools
o
Local priest provided education in public schools
o
1878-1886, government passed series of laws replacing religious instruction in school with civic
training


Germany and the Kulturkampf


o
1870, German Catholic Church wanted freedom for churches guaranteed in constitution
o
Bismarck removed clergy from overseeing local education & put education under direction of state
May Laws of 1873 required priests to be educated in German schools and to pass state exams
o
State could veto appointment of priests


Many clergy refused to follow these laws – Bismarck had every bishop in Prussia arrested
or expelled

o
By end of 1870s, he ended his attack
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
He gained state control of education –
Areas of Religious Revival

In Britain, both Anglican church & other denominations expanded & raised money for new churches & schools

In Ireland, there was a Catholic devotional revival
o

Second half of 19th century was last big effort to Christianize Europe
o
The Roman Catholic Church and the Modern World

Papacy was extremely resilient
o
1860s, pope launched counteroffensive against liberalism (he was mad about Italian unification)
o

1869, Pope Pius IX called First Vatican Council
o
1870, Council pronounced (against advice of bishops) doctrine of papal infallibility –

He believed this was only way to sustain church


Next pope was Leo XIII – wanted to make accommodations to the modern age & tackle its social problems
o
His most important pronouncement was encyclical Rerum Novarum



Also criticized socialism & Marxism – but also advocated for better conditions for workers
His successor – Pope Pius X – tried to restore traditional devotional life
o

Fight between Catholicism and modern thought had resumed
Islam and Late-Nineteenth-Century European Thought

European thinkers interpreted Islam as historical phenomenon
o
o
Islam, like all religions, was seen as product of a particular culture
o
I
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
Egyptian intellectual – Jamal al-din Al-Afghani – opposed these ideas
o

European racial & cultural views that made nonwhite peoples seem inferior were also applied to Arab world
o
Christian missionaries reinforced these anti-Islamic ideas


Also criticized Islamic religious authorities

They gained few converts, but tried to found schools and hospitals (hoping that would convince
Muslims to convert)


In Islamic world, as political leaders continued to foster Western scientific education, they encountered different
responses from religious thinkers

Some tried to combine modern thought with Islam
o
EX:

Believed Muhammad wisely addressed issues of his time, and Islam could do so again


Islam should emphasize a rational reading of the Qur’an

Saw Ottoman decline resulting from Muslim religious error

4. Toward a Twentieth-Century Frame of Mind
Science: The Revolution in Physics

By 1870s, people were sick of realism of science
o
People argued that scientific theories should be thought of as hypothetical creations of mind instead of true
descriptions of nature
o
X Rays and Radiation

New laboratory discoveries changed idea that ideas of physics were “complete”
o
1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X rays –
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
Major studies of radioactivity followed

1896, Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium had a similar form of energy

1897, theory of the electron was formed at Cambridge University
o
Theories of Quantum Energy, Relativity, and Uncertainty

Discovery of radioactivity & discontent with existing scientific models led to revolutionary theories in physics
o
1900, Max Planck came up with quantum theory of energy – energy is series of discrete packets, not
a continuous stream
o
o
1927, Werner Heisenberg came up with uncertainty principle – behavior of subatomic particles is a
matter of probability rather than exact cause and effect
Literature: Realism and Naturalism

1850-1914, realist movement in literature focused on hypocrisy, brutality, and dullness of bourgeois life
o
Realist and naturalist writers brought scientific objectivity and observation to their writing


Realism rejected idealistic romance – instead, it showed the dark side of like

o
But these writers argued that a better life was possible
o
Major writers of late-19th-century examined dark side of life without the idea that things could get better
Flaubert and Zola

Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary is considered the first genuinely realistic novel
o

Emile Zola turned realism into an entire movement
o

There was nothing hopeful or romantic in his stories
Ibsen and Shaw

Henrik Ibsen wanted to get behind the curtain of middle-class morality
o
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
Main character – Nora – has stupid husband who doesn’t want her to be independent and
think for herself


o

Ibsen’s controversial works attacked sentimentality, supposed innocence of women, and the
“respectability” of middle-class life
Irish writer George Bernard Shaw was fan of Ibsen
o
Modernism in Literature

Starting in 1870s, new movement called modernism affected all art forms
o
o
But it wasn’t interested in social issues – it was only interested in beauty
o
Modernists tried to break from tradition to create new, unique works of art
o
Her characters tried to survive in a world where social and moral certainties of the time were gone
o
In his novel In Search of Time Past, Proust wrote about a stream-of-consciousness which let him explore his
own memories




Modernism flourished after WWI since most of the old political structures and social traditions were gone
The Coming of Modern Art

End of 19th-century saw new departures from Western art

It transformed painting and sculpture forever
Impressionism

Two major characteristics marked this style of painting
o
1.
o
2. Many of the artists were fascinated with light & color & representing a momentary experience of
social life
o

20th century, these would be most popular works in European and American art museums
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
o

Backdrop for all these paintings was the redesigned Paris
In A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Edouard Manet, a young barmaid is standing behind table holding liquor,
wine in front of large mirror reflecting everything happening in front of her
o
o
While there is a large crowd in room full of noise and excitement, she seems calm and stoic
o
Because barmaids and shop clerks had to supplement their wages with prostitution, this woman may
be seen as another form of consumption (like the alcohol)
Directions: Below is the painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Edouard Manet. Examine the painting carefully and then answer the
questions that follow. Worth 14 points.
1. Examine the woman carefully. Do you see any difference from the picture of her and the reflection of her? Explain.
2. What does the difference between the woman and her reflection tell you?
3. Everything at the bottom of the picture is a consumer good (food and drink). Some people believe the woman is supposed to be one as
well (prostitute). Do you agree? Why or why not?
4. The room is full of people, noise, movement, but the woman’s face is stoic. Why do you think Manet made her so expressionless?
Explain.
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5. What do you like about this painting?
6. What don’t you like about this painting?
7. The painting is created from the view of the man at the bar. If you were the man, what would be going through your mind at that
moment?
Post-impressionism

By 1880s, impressionists had big influence on modern art
o
Younger artists drew on their techniques but mixed in earlier traditions as well
o
Form and structure were more important to them than capturing a moment in time


Georges Seurat used new style of painting called pointillism –
o
This allowed him to paint in basic colors next to each other and allow viewer’s eyes to mix them into
new shades

In his A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte, Seurat shows middle-class
Parisians on a Sunday afternoon


All of the characters look like the mannequins in the department stores of Paris

They look almost mechanical, like the industries that created their fashionable
clothing

Directions: Below is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, Starry Night. He made the painting while in an asylum in 1889 (he was so
depressed the previous year that he had cut off his own ear). When he looked out the window of his room, this is what he saw. Examine
the painting carefully, and answer the questions that follow. Worth 14 points.
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1. Van Gogh did not actually like this painting because he felt it wasn’t realistic enough. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
2. Some believe that the painting tells you a lot about Van Gogh’s state of mind at the time. Based on the painting, how would you
describe what Van Gogh was feeling at the time?
3. Why is the sky so huge when compared to the tiny town?
4. Why does the dark, somber tree stand out and play such a huge part in the painting?
5. What do you like about this painting?
6. What don’t you like about this painting?
7. What feelings come over you as you look at this painting?
Cubism

o
For 500 years, Western painting tried to reproduce reality
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o
Starting in 1907, Picasso & Braque rejected this idea – they saw painting as art with no purpose
beyond itself

Their paintings were only two-dimensional

But they tried to include as many different angles, perspectives, and views as possible

Friedrich Nietzsche and the Revolt Against Reason

Philosophers began questioning if rational thinking was right way to address human issues
o
Writer who exemplified this attitude was Friedrich Nietzsche
o

Attacked Christianity, democracy, nationalism, rationality, and science

He wanted to show what was behind veneer of respectable life – and figure out how people created
that veneer

o
Argued that nonrational parts of human nature are just as important as the rational parts
o
Instinct and ecstasy are vital parts of human life
o


As such, he blamed Socrates for helping start Western decadence because of his appeal for
rationality
Later works, such as Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzsche criticized democracy & Christianity
o
o
He claimed that God is dead and predicted coming of the Overman, who would embody heroism and
greatness

People have interpreted this to mean a superman or super race, but that was not Nietzsche’s
intention


His later works are difficult to understand
o
In Beyond Good and Evil and The Genealogy of Morals, he tries to discover what leads to judging something
as good or evil


He was not saying we should be immoral – he wanted people to reevaluate what they think is moral &
immoral
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
Directions: Below is a famous quote from Friedrich Nietzsche which appears in a few of his works. You will all individually analyze this
quote and explain in your own words what you think he means. Then we will share our ideas with the class. We will stop once we have 5
completely different viewpoints. Make sure you write down all 5 (not just your own). Then decide if and how your classmates have
influenced your interpretation. Worth 18 points.
“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the
murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned
has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to
clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not
the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to
appear worthy of it?”
1. I believe Nietzsche was trying to say…
2. My classmate believes Nietzsche was trying to say…
3. My classmate believes Nietzsche was trying to say…
4. My classmate believes Nietzsche was trying to say…
5. My classmate believes Nietzsche was trying to say…
6. After hearing the opinions of my classmates, I now believe Nietzsche was trying to say…
The Birth of Psychoanalysis

Late 19th-century scientists, artists, & philosophers wanted to examine beneath the surface
o
Looked at what was inside an atom, what were families really like, and why do people think the way they do
o
Development of Freud’s Early Theories

Freud was born to Jewish family in Austria and wanted to become a lawyer but studied physiology and
medicine instead
o
Had medical practice in Vienna until Nazis drove him out in 1938
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
Early on, he was interested in psychic disorders


Mid-1890s, he moved away from hypnosis and allowed his patients to talk freely about themselves
o
He discovered that patients associated their neurotic symptoms with experiences related to earlier
experiences (childhood)
o
He also believed sexual matters were important in his patients’ problems


By 1897, Freud rejected these ideas
o
Instead, he came up with theory of infantile sexuality –

Humans are sexual creatures from birth to death
Freud’s Concern with Dreams

o
Romantic writers took dreams seriously, but few psychologists examined them scientifically

Freud concluded that dreams allow unconscious wishes, desires, and drives to enjoy free
play in your mind


Freud also believed unconscious desires drive conscious behavior

Freud’s Later Thought


In later books, Freud argued that a struggle took place in the mind among 3 entities: id, superego, ego
o
Id –
o
Superego – conscience reflecting social standards learned from parents, teachers, and society
o
Ego –
Freud wanted people to live without fear and illusions by rationally understanding themselves and the world
o
o
He hated religion and thought it was an illusion
o
He wanted civilization and humane behavior
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o
He understood the sacrifice of instinct required for civilized behavior
o
He did not want people to abandon repression
o
o
But he also believed civilization and survival depended on some repression of sexuality and
aggression
Divisions in the Psychoanalytic Movement

By 1910, Freud had small group of disciples
o
Some of them soon created theories Freud disagreed with


Before WWI, the two parted ways

Jung did not accept the importance of sexual drives in forming a person’s
personality & mental disorders

He also put less faith in reason

o
These memories – as well as personal experience – are what make up a person’s soul
o
Jung believed people of his day had become ignorant of these collective memories

In Modern Man in Search of a Soul, Jung was more mystical and religious

Retreat from Rationalism in Politics

o
They believed that once people could vote, they would behave according to their rational, political self-interest
o
By 1900, these views were criticized

Weber

German sociologist Max Weber was impressed by role reason played in human society
o
He saw bureaucratization as basic feature of modern social life

o
Bureaucratization involved division of labor – each individual fit into a specific role in larger society

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
Weber also believed, unlike Marx, that noneconomic factors might cause major changes in human history
Theorists of Collective Behavior

In his emphasis on the individual and dominant role or rationality, Weber was different than most social
scientists
o
Gustave Lebon, for example, studied actions of crowds and mobs

o
In Reflections on Violence, Georges Sorel argued people do not go after rational goals

o
To these Weber dissenters, instinct, habit, and affections – not reason – drive behavior
Racism

Racism had long existed in Europe
o

o
Since 1700s, biologists and anthropologists classified people according to skin color (as well as language and
stage of civilization)
o
Linguistic scholars in 1700s observed similarities between European languages and Sanskrit – led them to
believe in existence of ancient race called Aryans –
Debate over slavery added to the development of racial theory
o
In late 1800s, however, race became a dominant explanation of the history and character of large groups of
people
o
Racial thinking was changed around 1900 when race was associated with biological science
o
Directions: What do you think the following statements represent? Write your answer in the space provided. Worth 14 points.
Racism: belief that one race is better than another
Prejudice: pre-judgment based on a personal bias
Stereotype: group-based assumption based on word of mouth or media outlets
Ex: Cathy doesn’t like Brian because he has red hair. ___Prejudice___
1. The substitute teacher walked into the room and I immediately knew that I wouldn’t like her because of the way she was dressed.
________________________________
2. I know I won’t like my lab partner; he’s openly gay. _________________________________________
3. Steve looked like most other gang members, in his baggy, loose jeans, oversized sweatshirt and baseball cap.
________________________________________
4. A lot of people believe that Chinese people are terrible drivers. _______________________________________
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5. Damon has long, bleached blonde hair and he wears a lot of clothing made by Quicksilver, Billabong, and Rip Curl. He says "Dude" and
"Sweet" a lot, so he’s definitely like most other surfers. __________________________________________
6. The woman at the reception desk wouldn’t let me into the restaurant because she says my clothing was inappropriate.
______________________________________________
7. My teacher, a Black woman, says I can’t be in the recital because she thinks that white people can’t dance. ________________________
8. With a name like "Bambi," I doubt that she’s very intelligent. ________________________________
9. Michael is very tall – 6 feet, 8 inches. He looks like a lot of other basketball players I’ve seen. _______________________________
10. I took one look at him and knew that we’d never be friends. ___________________________________
11. Many years ago, First Nations children were sent to live in residential schools so that they would become more like White children.
______________________________________
12. She has short hair and doesn’t flirt with guys; clearly, she a lesbian. _______________________________________
13. Carolyn isn’t very attractive, so I doubt that she is popular with the rest of the class. ____________________________________
14. What do you mean that Asians can’t use this water fountain? __________________________________________
Gobineau

o
In his Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races, Gobineau claimed problems in West came from
degeneration of original white Aryan race

It had intermarried with inferior yellow and black races –

Gobineau also believed there was no way to reverse this degeneration
Chamberlain

1899, Englishman in Germany – Houston Stewart Chamberlain – published Foundations of the Nineteenth
Century
o

Chamberlain was anti-Semitic
o
o
His work helped spread anti-Semitism throughout the continent
Late-Century Nationalism

Racial thinking was part of late-century movement toward aggressive nationalism
o
1870s on, nationalism became movement with huge support
o
o
The nation became more important than religion to many people
25

Some Europeans used racial theory to support cruel treatment of colonial peoples
o
Anti-Semitism and the Birth of Zionism

o
But since French Revolution, West European Jews had gradually gained entry into civil life


Last third of 19th century, as capitalism changed economic structure of Europe, many non-Jews
threatened by these changes became angry at Jewish community
Anti-Semitic Politics


In Germany, Lutheran chaplain Adolf Stoecker revived anti-Semitism

In France, Dreyfus Affair created new hatred for the Jews
o
o

And it could not be fixed as Jewishness was in their blood
A Jewish response to this anti-Semitism was called Zionist movement –
o
Its founder was the Austro-Hungarian Theodor Herzl
Herzl’s Response

Dreyfus Affair, Karl Lüger’s election, and personal experiences convinced Theodor Herzl that liberal politics
would not protect Jews

1896, Herzl published The Jewish State –
5. Women and Modern Thought
Antifeminism in Late-Century Thought

Intellectuals influenced by biology maintained their stereotyped views of women
o
o
They also displayed fear and hostility toward women – thought they were susceptible to destructive feelings
and instincts
o
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
London 1860, Ethnological Society (compares human cultures & societies) excluded women from discussions on
grounds that women were amateurs who would only lower the level of discussion
o
o
Male scientists believed women should not discuss reproduction or other sexual issues
o

o
Contemporary medical education portrayed women as inferior
o
Psychoanalysis and psychology were dominated by men
o
And because psychology increasingly influenced child care and domestic relations law, it gave men influence
on one area women had dominated
Social sciences also reinforced traditional gender roles
o
Directions: Below is a modern political cartoon about feminism. Examine both sides of the cartoon carefully and then answer the
questions that follow. Worth 14 points.
1. According to the cartoon, which of the women is more successful – the feminist or anti-feminist?
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2. What in the cartoon leads you to believe one is more successful than the other? Be specific.
3. What message does the cartoon portray about anti-feminists?
4. What message does the cartoon portray about feminists?
5. How is the cartoon’s view of a feminist inaccurate?
6. How is the cartoon’s view of an anti-feminist inaccurate?
7. Is the cartoon right in today’s world? Explain.
New Directions in Feminism

End of 1800s saw a revival in feminist thought that would grow in 1900s
o
Feminist writers had a difficult time during this period
o
Sexual Morality and the Family

In many countries, middle-class women started to challenge the double standard of sexual morality and maledominated society
o
This meant they had to challenge laws about prostitution
o
Police in areas with navy or army bases could force women in area suspected of being prostitutes to
undergo tests for venereal disease



Law did nothing to their male customers
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

Goal of law was actually to protect men – not the women – from infection
By 1869, led by Josephine Butler, Ladies’ National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts
opposed the legal regulation of prostitution
o

In Germany, General Austrian Women’s Association also fought legal regulation of prostitution
o
Almost all feminists around 1900 supported more sexual freedom for women

Many advocated for contraception –

Women Defining Their Own Lives

Feminists believed that achieving legal and social equality would allow women (like men) to control their own
destinies
o
In literary circles, feminist most clearly explained the problems women were facing

Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own became one of main text of feminist literature


A woman who wants to write needs a room of her own (area not dominated by
male institutions) and independent income

She also wondered if feminist writers should imitate men or use the characteristics
that made them female in their writing

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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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8.
9.
10.
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13.
14.
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