The defining characteristic of the modern age, if one is to be found, is the erosion of objective truth. Students are taught, not how to think critically, but to be critical of established and proven ideas. Rather than further scientific thought, students are taught that basic biological axioms are actually “open-ended,” and truths found in nature are meant to be overturned. Even relativistic morality — the innate human ability to perceive good from evil — is called into question. There is no correct or incorrect moral belief, they say, just different backgrounds.
Nietzsche developed the notion of Perspectivism, which directly challenges universal values and truth, positing that there are many different perspectives and interpretations of reality — all valid — which depend on a person’s upbringing, background, and experiences. This is, perhaps, the basis of modern thought. Because each person has their “own truths,” objective and universal axioms cannot exist. One can see this clearly manifest in modern life. We are taught to be open-minded to everyone’s opinions and moral beliefs, and if it feels wrong, it is because of our supposed biases and privilege, not the unique human ability to determine right from wrong.
However, Perspectivism is false. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If someone says they identify that the sun actually rises in the west, it doesn’t change this basic scientific axiom. Likewise, the tenets of mathematics and logic are set in stone, having been developed by the observation of truth. However, modern culture regards (most) scientific thought as being infallible, while arguing that morality and human truth are somehow fluid. That, there is no such thing as good and evil, no such thing as morality, and no such thing as beauty.
It is often said that a culture’s art is reflective of the soul of that culture. In early Stone Age art, primal sketches of hunting and gathering can be seen. This is because basic survival was central to the cultures at the time. Religious art and music reflect the tenets of its religion. In Renaissance art, the brilliance of the human mind and spirit is beautifully portrayed in its paintings and music. It is no surprise that a time when intellect and virtue were valued produced some of the best artistry and thought in history. When the soul is raised to the heavens, so, too, is the work it creates. Throughout time, humans have been fascinated with something greater than themselves, and have expressed this wonder through their creations.
Christendom helped produce Western Civilization and thought solely because its teachings perfectly align with the natural human spirit (not, however, the worldly human spirit), leading people to want to achieve their most perfect state. Beauty is therefore theosis with the divine. This is the reason the natural world, science and mathematics, and moral human life are so beautiful — they represent God’s perfection. In a person’s pursuit to discover this beauty, they also produce their own through art, music, and literature. Humans have always strived to create and experience beauty.
Except something changed. It is clear in the modern world things are — ugly. Much modern art is not a depiction of something great or inspiring, rather it is random and hard-to-comprehend splatters of paint with a meaning that must be uncovered using some sort of reason, which leaves the viewer feeling unfulfilled. Likewise in architecture, where instead of building great cathedrals and inspiring villas, contemporary styles emphasize concrete cubes reminiscent of Soviet Khruschevkas, and unordered chaotic layouts.
As a student of music, I am constantly exposed to the academic trend of atonality. That is, the rejection of beautiful and ordered sound for purposeful and painful dissonance, which is somehow avant-garde. I have heard professors outright reject and belittle the beauty of Bach and Dvorak for the mayhem of Ligeti. There is nothing wrong with appreciating modern composition, and indeed it is fascinating; however, what is more concerning is the actual repudiation of beautiful and inspirational music which can be felt by every human soul. Instead of feeling a natural inclination towards naturally-ordered sound (which is harmonious due to objective mathematics), I was taught that “true art” can only be appreciated through reason few possess, even if it troubles one’s psyche. It is, in a sense, artistic indoctrination: what one’s conscience tells them is good and true is actually false, and one must accept what society tells them to appreciate.It is no surprise that these aforementioned artistic styles were born around the same time Nietzsche developed the idea of Perspectivism. The defining trait of the modern era is the absence of objectivity and beauty, which are intertwined. As a society loses its faith, morals, and sense of wonder, so too does it lose its ability to see good from evil, objective truth, and even its grasp of reality. This is why the idea of individual truths is so popular. If one does not have a compass, there is no way to tell which direction is north or south; they would not be able to tell in which direction the sun rises and sets. So too it is with modernity. With no moral compass, truth appears lost. Any direction could be north if there is no instrument with which to prove it. Thus, there is no beauty, no reason, no faith, only nihilistic moral anarchism. The only certainty is uncertainty, and thus anything is permissible.
Except this mode of thought is destructive and inherently dangerous. The human soul is meant to be guided, to be inspired, to experience the divine. By rejecting this truth which is so natural to the human spirit, society pridefully falls into a hades of confusion and turmoil with which it has no means — or perhaps willingness — to escape.
