progressions and reactions

One of the difficulties in understanding the movement from modernism to post-modernism, is that modernism can be correctly used to refer to two very different historical developments and time periods. 

Sometimes modernism refers to the enlightenment and the scientific revolution. So, it's centered on the late 18th, early 19th century. This kind of modernism focuses on rationality, reason and science.

But in other contexts, modernism refers to a completely different time period - the late 19th, early 20th century. This kind of modernism is all about experimentation and breaking the rules. It's like, we've always made chairs with 4 legs, a seat and a back-rest...how else can we make a chair? 

Post-modernism emerged around the middle of the 20th century, and that's why we can think of it as a progression from the early 20th century kind of modernism, but, in terms of what actually drove the movement, I think it makes more sense to think of it as a reaction to the enlightenment form of modernism, because post-modernism is a rejection of certainty and knowability. It questions the very idea that there is a truth that can be illuminated. 

Because the modernism I learned about at uni was the early 20th century one, I've been trying to understand post-modernism as a progression from that for a long time. I've always tried to think of explanations for post-modernism as a response to or continuation from modernism, and it's never really very convincing or satisfying. 

I suppose you could say that, in modernism, they were questioning everything and then post-modernism is the next step, in the sense that the most fundamental axioms are questioned. Or conversely, if we think of post-modernism as a reaction against modernism, we can say that modernism rejected tradition and then post-modernism picked up traditions and played with them. 

Post-modernism as a rejection of enlightenment values is easier to understand and define. There's a real opposition there. We have the enlightenment which was all about understanding the truth through reasoning and science, and then post-modernism questions the very idea of truth. 

I like it though. I like how the progression from modernism to post-modernism is somewhat problematic. It's something to think about.