modernité

Modernité, in French usage as well as in English scholarship, refers to the historical condition and the associated social, cultural, and political transformations that began in the late eighteenth century and continue today. It is tied to processes of rationalization, secularization, urbanization, bureaucratization, and capitalism, as well as changes in perception of time, space, and individual life.

Its intellectual origins lie in the Enlightenment and the scientific and industrial revolutions, which fostered new forms of knowledge, education, markets, and political organization. The rise of the modern state, the expansion of literacy, the development of mass media, and the consolidation of professional careers helped reshape daily life and community relations, producing a more differentiated but interdependent society.

Among sociologists and philosophers, modernité has been analyzed as a set of distinct processes: rationalization and bureaucratic organization (Max Weber), functional differentiation and new forms of social cohesion (Émile Durkheim), and the production of power/knowledge regimes (Michel Foucault). The modern project is associated with promises of freedom and progress, but also with risks such as alienation, surveillance, and ecological and ethical dilemmas. Critics, especially postmodernists, have questioned the universality and telos of modernization.

In contemporary French discourse, modernité is used to discuss the relationship between tradition and innovation, secular citizenship, and the impact of globalization and digital technologies. The term is often contrasted with postmodernité, late modernity, or other assessments of contemporary society, reflecting ongoing debates about whether the modern project remains viable or requires rethinking.