Summary of The First Critics of Modern Life

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The first critics of modern life were writers and thinkers who reflected on how the new world changed the way they saw the world around them. They argued that the modern world was too utilitarian and that it was excluding something essential to human existence. They were pessimistic about the future of humanity, but they did believe that art could be a means of preserving what was spiritual and mysterious in the world.

• 00:00:00 This video explores the history of modernity, focusing on the criticisms of this time period. Many people argued that the shift to a modern world contained at least some downsides, such as increased stress and environmental degradation. Some of the first critics of modernity were writing about people who had lost their traditional way of life, and they described work in the factories and industry as just as bad as field work.
• 00:05:00 In the 1880s, Arnold Toynbee wrote about a period of darkness that was coming to a nation. He argued that side by side with an increase in wealth, there was an increase of corporations, which he described as 'disastrous and terrible.' Some of the writers who critiqued this period were not all doom and gloom, and Blake, in particular, was forward-looking. Marx's longtime collaborator, Frederick Engels, sent from Germany to manage a factory in Manchester, England, complained about the state of the town and the pollution. John Stewart Mill, while applauding the progress of industry, also said that he wasn't charmed with the ideal of life held out by those who thought that the 'normal state of human beings is that of struggling to get on.'
• 00:10:00 This video discusses the early critics of modern life, who believed that the world was becoming too utilitarian and that art was being pushed out of the world. These thinkers argued that what was valuable was not simply usefulness or practicality, but also the spiritual and mystical. They believed that what was being excluded from this pursuit of utility and commerce was something essential to human existence. These critics were largely pessimistic about the future of humanity, but they did believe that art could be a means of preserving what was spiritual and mysterious in the world.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses the views of early critics of modernity, who felt that the new style of architecture was replacing traditional styles, and that the world was becoming overstimulating and moving faster than ever. They noted that a number of formerly important things were being sacrificed in this process, including spirituality, community, and language. They argued that this trend would lead to a gap in people, a longing illness, and the exploitation of others.
• 00:20:00 The video discusses the critical view of modern life expressed by poets and thinkers such as Blake, Navales, Keat, Marx, and Schiller. They argue that the constant stimulation of new sensations and demands in urban life leaves little time for contemplation or for developing one's individuality. They also say that the pursuit of utility and the speed of progress have led to the degradation of nature and the enslavement of man.
• 00:25:00 Blake believed in the potential of the city, but felt that it was being overwhelmed by the artificiality of modern life. He saw the city as a microcosm of the larger world, and saw the relationship between nature and culture as a continuous process of synthesis.
• 00:30:00 The first critics of modern life were thinkers, writers, and nature-lovers who reflected on how the modern world changed the way they viewed the world. Their work was important, but it couldn't be done without the support of their patrons. If you want to see more of this content, please support the creator by clicking the link in the description below.