Europe was the first and the only place where modernity emerged. Comment. (UPSC CSE Mains 2021 - Sociology, Paper 1)
Modernity is linked to the big changes that happened in society, especially in the areas of social, economic, and cultural change.
- Economic changes: There was a transition from pre-industrial feudal society to capitalist industrial society during this period. Earlier most of the people worked in the fields with ‘feuds’ as owners and ‘serfs’ working under them. Now, there was a rise of new industries driven by heavy machines which required additional high labour input. This demand of labour prompted land – workers to migrate toward cities. In this way there was a sudden and huge out swell in population of cities which led to the increase of squalor, poverty and congestion. The new environment in city washighly impersonal and there was breakdown in older social traditions and relations.
- Political and ideological changes: There was a transition in political beliefs of the people. The divine right of monarch/King to rule over the masses was being questioned. The ideas of democracy, equality, liberty, secularism started gaining prominence in the efforts of philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke etc. French Revolution proved to be a watershed event and held in rapid propagation of these ideas. The old theological saying that "the rich man in his castle, and poor man at his gate, God made them highly or lowly and ordered their estate" was no more being agreed upon to by the people and there was an increased belief in responsibility of mind towards the fate of society instead of some supernatural reality of God this let to the separation of church from the state.
- Scientific changes: the old and traditional beliefs, norms and values came under high stress owing to new discoveries in science and technology. Darwin''s “origin of species”, invention of steam engine by James Watt and many more new discoveries in natural science made people to question older religious beliefs. Overall there was a new awareness in society coupled with a visible poverty.
Europe produced a Scientific Revolution in the Renaissance period of 14th to 16th century A.D. the impact of the scientific revolution was crucial not just in changing material life, but also people''s ideas about nature and society. Science does not develop independent of society, rather it develops in response to human needs, for example various vaccines were not developed just out of the blue, but out of the necessity to cure diseases. Apart from influencing the physical or material life of society, science is ultimately connected with ideas. The general intellectual atmosphere existing in society influences the development of science. Similarly, new developments in science can change the attitude and believes in other areas as well. New scientific ideas influenced scholars to think about society in new ways. The emergence of sociology in Europe owes a great deal to the ideas and discoveries contributed by science. The Renaissance period saw the beginning of the scientific revolution. It marked an area of description and criticism in the field of science. It was a clear break from the past, a challenge to old authority.
To understand these changes there was advent of sociology.
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