Chapter 1 Summary

“Sculpture in the Age of Doubt, by Thomas McEvilley, 1999. Chapter 1 Summary

In order to explain the difference in schools of thought between Modernism & Post-modernism, Thomas McEvilley used various examples of how ages of certainty alternate with periods of doubt throughout history, especially so in the Western culture.

The Great doubt, supported by groups such as the Greek school of skepticism and Buddhist Madyamika, is the positive view and belief in questioning the reality of everything, and as a result, free their minds from this world and find inner awakening/awareness of consciousness in a boundless realm with “no assumptions”. This idea is key to two ancient Greek philosophical groups, the Academics and the Pyrrhonists. While the Academics outrightly rejected all views and declared them as false, the Pyrrhonists simply suspended judgement by not declaring if something was for real or untrue. Everything is subject to a rational doubt. McEvilley mentions the Pyrrhonists many times throughout the chapter.

In great contrast, the search for certainty comes in many forms via religion such as Christianity and Islam, political thinking like the ideals of Democracy, or the scientific view as demonstrated by mathematical calculations and the observation of nature – the common factor in these ideologies is that they believe themselves to be the eternal truth, presuming themselves to have existed forever, and take turns to dominate the world. These ages of certainty always exaggerate the duration of their existence through the denial that their end is approaching, and when it finally does end, it comes as a surprise, followed previously by short periods of doubt. These can be seen in the examples of the Renaissance and Eurocentrism, where countries seek to be the ultimate ruler and invade other countries, ultimately leading to the World Wars.

At the end of World War II, as European colonies started to withdraw and the Western dream of “desirable culmination” which had turned into a nightmare came to an end, Modernism ceased to be, and a new age of doubt, Post-Modernism, quietly began. Despite the difference in technology and times, the underlying ideals of post-Modernism are highly similar to the reaction of turn in events at the end of period of certainty.

However, the theory that post-modernism is a derivation of skeptical thinking from a revival of ancient times is unacknowledged by the thinkers themselves, who are more interested in emphasizing the impression of innovation and undoubtedly the globalization of previous colonies, previously silenced through colonization, now turned into independent producers and exported manufacturers with voices. The first signs of doubt in art history occurred when the world was going through destruction, and full awareness of doubt blossomed in 1980s. In the eyes of a Modernist, this new anti-art seems to be the end of “real” art, but it has developed its own aesthetic form.

Thoughts & discussion questions:
Although I had to read through the text several times before I could fully comprehend the meaning, this chapter helped me to grasp the sentiments of the art movements mentioned.

The ages of certainty brought about great masterpieces based on aesthetic guides that work universally, while ages of doubt allows one to go in any other direction.
If you were to choose between a world of unity or pure freedom, which would you choose, and why?

What is considered aesthetically beautiful in a post-modern context?