The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that swept across Europe as well as Western civilization, promoting a new era of thinking and reasoning. No longer were people blindly listening to rules created by the church and higher powers. They began to think individually and ask questions, seeking out knowledge. Many sought out to advance ideals such as liberty, equality, and progress. This movement and ideas like natural rights and the social contract ultimately led to the American Revolutionary War, where colonists fought to make a change and break free from a corrupt power.

Today, and in recent years, there is a movement across the U.S pushing for change. Although not as extreme as going to war, the Black Lives Matter movement continues to echo ideas and morals found in John Locke’s Second Treatise, the latter essay to his work, Two Treatises of Government. Published in 1689, it’s speculated that the work was written during a time of political turmoil, where conspiracies circulated and those caught were executed, all leading up to the Glorious Revolution (Wikipedia). Applicable to today, several people have been arrested or harmed in peaceful protests against systematic injustice.

John Locke believed, "being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions." He reasoned that every individual has the right to preserve their own life, liberty, and property. If a person or power infringes on these things, it's the individual's duty to protect and protest this. Like BLM, Locke’s essay was a response to resentment towards the government due to unreasonable treatment. It displayed the theme of a social contract; the power lies within the governed as the government can only rule with their consent. It also argued for equality; all individuals have natural rights that must be protected to prevent conflict. If these principles aren't upheld, the people have the right to revolt. Today's cultural movement reflects these same ideals, both push for fair representation and the natural rights of all people. BLM is fighting that these rights aren’t being exercised due to several injustices towards the black community. Since this social contact isn’t being upheld by the government, the right of revolution is implemented in the form of protests across the country.

The Romantic Period was a 19th-century movement that emphasized individualism and emotion. These ideas greatly impacted art and literature as imagination and originality became a major focus for creators. Here's my infographic that describes the cultural movement in more detail.

Romanticism swept across Europe following the Enlightenment period and the birth of new ideas. The movement emphasized emotion and individualism. It also focused on nature and the imagination. Literature was to be creative and original, as the content came from the author’s vision. Although the movement was eventually succeeded by Realism, the ideals of the Romantic period continued to be present in art and literature, even in modern times.

An accredited film of the early 2000s that echoes themes of the Romantic period is Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. The film tells the story of a young girl, Ofelia, who is forced to live with her brutal step-father, Captain Vidal. She is led to an old labyrinth by a fairy, where she meets a faun who believes she’s actually a princess and must complete specific tasks to prove this. The fantasy-side of the film is introduced here, as supernatural beings help guide the young girl. Ofelia first gets rid of a giant toad that’s killing the ancient fig tree there. On top of her magical quests, she must balance problems in the real world as her pregnant mother falls sick with her younger brother. The faun gives her a magic plant to help cure her mother so Ofelia can continue her quest. In the next task, Ofelia enters the Pale Man’s forbidden feast, where she retrieves a dagger. As she leaves, Ofelia awakens the horrifying creature who begins eating fairies and almost catches her as he chases her out (Shmoop). These scenes evoke emotions such as fear or terror as Ofelia flees for her life.

The movie explores a fantasy world filled with sorcery and mythical creatures. The presence of magic and frightening monsters helps display the artist’s imagination. The original work heightens the viewers’ emotions with particular dark and chilling scenes. The focus on the supernatural and emphasis on emotion throughout the film are the same ideals that can be found in literature during the Romantic movement.

Postmodernism was the cultural movement that further developed philosophy, art, and architecture in the late 20th century following Modernism. The period brought with it an attitude of skepticism and rejection towards previously held ideologies. People began to criticize and drift from common practices. Modern architecture from the previous era was widely considered dull and a failure of perfectionism by many (Wikipedia). The new, emerging style was a reaction against these things that embraced creativity and experimentation over traditional formality. The unique, asymmetrical shapes, vibrant colors, and textures used in the makeup of the building are defining aspects of Postmodern architecture.

A recently finished structure that echoes characteristics of postmodern architecture is the Amager Bakke or CopenHill power plant in Denmark. The energy-efficient power station was completed in 2017 by Bjarke Ingels Group. The outside is wrapped in colored glass and an aluminum façade, providing a unique texture. CopenHill also boasts a bold slanted shape (Sinopoli et al.). At first glance, the most eye-catching feature is its lush, green, artificial ski slope that covers the top of the building. Visitors can rock-climb the sides or ski down the turf spine. On top of that, the building itself is asymmetrical with sloped sides and a large smokestack that juts out at one end. This combination of different colors and textures that make up the outer part of the surface and the distinctive shape of the building are all characteristics of postmodern architecture.