R: Reject Modernity

Conservatives will, on occasion, half-jokingly utter the phrase, “reject modernity, embrace tradition.” But this topic warrants serious consideration. For the sake of this debate, let us take modernity to be both the historical epoch following the Renaissance—anything after the seventeenth century—and an ensemble of socio-cultural norms, attitudes, and practices. To reject modernity is to spurn the advancements of the last several hundred years and to advocate on behalf of it entails tolerating a great many evils. Either way, modernity has undoubtedly shaped the world as we know it. So, what is modernity? And what does it mean to reject it? I challenge each speaker to answer these two questions.

Those in the affirmative will be harsh critics of modernity. Perhaps they will be reluctant postmodernists, or maybe they’ll unabashedly seek to revive pre-modern norms and attitudes, or maybe they will simply just despise modernity for what it has done to our society. Not only has the environment suffered as a result of modernity’s resource exploitation, so too have our morals and health. Everywhere you turn, the individualism, secularization, and atomization brought about by modernity have mauled our civilization. Crime, drug addiction, and divorce are occurring at levels that would make our ancestors weep. Communities have broken down, truth itself has been savaged, and traditions all around the world have been abandoned. What it means to be from a place means far less when everywhere looks the same.

Those in the negative will mount a conservative defense of modernity. What they will reject is traditionalist fear mongering, progressive accelerationism, and reactionary pipe dreams. After all, modernity has brought with it countless advancements in medicine, transportation, and communication. Furthermore, the standard of living around the world has dramatically improved and, as technology has developed, so too has our ability to pursue and know the truth. Some may argue that modernity has also led to greater individual freedom. Civil rights and religious toleration allow us to live in more just societies than our ancestors. It is worth remembering that war is one of the worst things humans do and modernity has ushered in one of the most peaceful eras of human history. As human relations become less about coercion and force, they become more about persuasion and the proliferation of ideas.

So, again, what is modernity? What is postmodernism? Shouldn’t conservatives look to preserve the status quo? How are the ills of modernity distinct from those of liberalism or capitalism?