Abstract

Modernity, Modernism and Technology: concepts and evaluations

The concept of technology and the different appreciations which it receives in the European thought since the dawn of Modernity until the XX Century are described and discussed. In order to do so, the paper not only will resort to the better-known concept of Modernity, but it will also include the concept of modernism as used by Scott Lash in his work Sociología del posmodernismo (1997). This does not only consider it as an aesthetics movement, but also as a historical and social experience.

This description will depart from the discussion of Descartes and Bacon in the XVII Century, in order to continue with Marx and Engels criticism in the XIX Century. Later the approaches at that time by Foucault and Bell will be studied.

Finally, a look will be taken at the approach on technology practiced in the XX Century, by Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcus and Benjamín. Lastly, a proposal of an approach to the matter in discussion. is presented.

Key words: Modernity; modernism; Scientific Revolution; Industrial Revolution; instrumental reason; technology; usefulness and efficacy