Am I a modernist or a post-modernist?

To have a valid and honest answer to the last question I

had two things to do. First it was very important to me to fully understand what the modernism
and postmodernism was according to Stephen Hicks. Second, I had to somehow analyze myself
from my behavior to the way I think about certain topics about the world so in that way I see which
of those two (modernism and post-modernism) I reach more. And the final answer to the question
it is that I am a bit of both because it is extremely hard to defined myself as just one. In my life I
have some behaviors that can be seen as post-modernist and some of my opinions can be
described as modernist and so on. The purpose of this essay is to give valid arguments to why
some of my behaviors in life are modernist and why some others are post-modernist according to
Hicks. In the next lines I will mention three main characteristics of modernism and how they relate
to my daily life and same thing goes with post-modernism but with only one characteristic.

The first characteristic I find important is that I use reason a lot to think or act, I like to have valid
answers base on statistics or studies that have been already published, I just can´t give my
opinion or share my point of view if I don´t have any scientific support for my answers for example
as an Administrator one day I would be in charge of a company and a group of people so I would
have to make reasonable decisions to make the company a profitable organization. Should we
invest in Peruvian markets or go international? Well according to specifics research’s the Peruvian
economy is growing at a rate of 3.9% so Yes let’s invest there. Even to have a solid presentation
in University about some topic first thing I did was to search for the right academic sources so I
would know 100% about my presentation and to be prepare to any kind of question that the
teacher would ask. So, in my life exact numbers that explained something or published books that
share my way of thinking really makes my life easier. That’s my favorite part about modernism
because in contrast with post-modernism, their skepticism would made me doubt in absolutely
everything and that takes too much time which it’s something that I hate specially from someone
who is very practical. “Because reason...is the only thing that makes us men, and distinguishes
us from the beasts, I would prefer to believe that it exists, in its entirety, in each of us...”
(Descartes). Second characteristic I share is Individualism, because who doesn’t love freedom.
Modernism says humans can grew independent efforts through the thoughts we create or actions
we engage. Unlike animals, humans are born with a set of capacities that can be develop for good
or for evil but its all up to us. I believe that is us who oversees our own future not society. For
example, society says that a woman must be a mother and has to get married and if it not happens
then that is just not normal well in my case being a mother or getting married is not really a goal
in my life and I think from what I’ve heart from my friends and other woman’s its not a common
goal anymore. Now instead of thinking in raising a child we are more thinking individualist like
travelling around the world or keep studying like in my case I plan to study a master´s degree in
a different country because I am always thinking in my progress and I want to reach every goal I
set so I think studying and working takes a lot of time and a kid it is not a goal for every women
now. I like the idea that I am in charge of my life and it depends on my capacities and my values
who I would become and what I get because of it, everything I would get like a recognition in work
or a car it’s going to be based on just my effort in life. Individualism sounds very selfish in some
ways but there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion, unless you are taking advantage of
something or someone and hurting them in the way. (Kipling, 1935). The third and final
characteristic of modernism that in this case goes right in the way I see the world is Naturalism. I
don’t believe that supernatural or spiritual forces are the ones who operate the world. I am a
person that believes in what I can see, and what I can see is that Nature encompasses all that
exists throughout space and time, we exists because of nature, without air we will die, nature
gives us food to live, and a place to live. We will never be 100% sure about what was first but
something we know is that nature was there and still is with us. All disasters that happen to the
world like hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and more are just abnormal reactions of nature that
in some cases are cause by the human, so I discard the thought that we are punished by a god
because of the sins we commit. “Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men
believe in cause and effect.” (Emerson, Ralph Waldo). Finally, I have to say that post modernism
is a bit confusing because is contradictory in many ways, but I do rescue the activism or criticism
that this philosophy presents. Activism in Perú is growing, more people are not afraid to give their
opinion about certain topics that shouldn’t be a problem by now but unfortunately many people
still think like we are in the time of the caverns and don’t want to move forward. As a Peruvian
woman I still think that there are many things that needs to be change so we finally can get the
same treatment as men receive in this country. Now we are going to the streets to demand more
protection to us as many cases of feminicide are happening, a big example to this is “Ni una
menos” protest march that gathered around 5000000 Peruvian women me included. Post-
modernism claims for a solution and protect the oppress that in this case are the women in Perú.
Another example is the LGBT people who are trying to get the respect they deserve and not only
by law but by people opinions too, I believe that they deserve to be treated with the same
treatment straight people are given but unfortunately in this country is still very polemic, most
religious people cant accept them but thanks to post-modernism I have the freedom and power
to defend them. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to
improve the world”. (Frank, 1949)
In conclusion, I can’t define me by just one philosophy because at this time we need to be very
flexible in life and not square at all. I think it is very visible that I am more modernist that post-
modernist mainly because I like the idea of one being the unit of reality and become someone
based of the capacities that were given to me. So, in general individualism and liberalism are
huge influences in my life and had formed me in who am I. Naturalism is my way to see the world
because I don’t believe in anything supernatural in general, the part of activism in post-modernism
is something that at the times we live plus the country I live in its important in my life and not fear
to express my opinions. “Modernism was born in part out of the need to find fresh ways of
expression, to describe a new world that was unlike anything that had gone before”. (MacMillan)

Lizeth Leon Dominguez