How Modernism Transformed Art, Science, and Philosophy

CrashCourse

This educational video from Crash Course European History explores the profound cultural and intellectual shifts that occurred in Europe around the turn of the 20th century. Host John Green examines the rise of Modernism, a movement characterized by the rejection of traditional forms and the embrace of uncertainty, subjectivity, and innovation. The video covers the transition from Realism to Impressionism and Cubism in art, the departure from classical ballet in dance, and the move from Newtonian physics to Quantum Theory and Relativity in science. The content delves into key themes such as the breakdown of absolute truths, the exploration of the human subconscious, and the impact of non-European influences on Western culture. Significant figures like Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, and Pablo Picasso are discussed in depth, highlighting how their revolutionary ideas challenged the Enlightenment's focus on rationality and objective reality. The video illustrates how these disruptions in art, science, and philosophy mirrored the political and social upheavals of the era. For educators, this resource serves as an excellent synthesis of the intellectual history of the early 1900s. It provides a multidisciplinary approach, connecting visual arts, music, physics, and psychology to explain the "paradigm shift" that defined the modern era. The video is particularly useful for helping students understand abstract concepts like relativity, psychoanalysis, and existential philosophy by grounding them in their historical context and demonstrating how they shaped the 20th-century worldview.