Question

Which of the following contributed the most to the formation of the early modernist movement?

1) Industrialization and urbanization
2) The influence of scientific discoveries
3) The impact of World War I
4) The rise of individualism and self-expression

Answer 1

World War I was the biggest driver for the early modernist movement, providing a catalyst for artists and thinkers to challenge traditional conventions and explore new forms of expression due to the war's devastating effects and societal disillusionment.

Step-by-step explanation:

Contributions to the Formation of Early Modernism

Modernism is a broad philosophical movement that emerged as a result of dramatic changes in the cultural, social, and economic layouts of Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The early modernist movement, specifically, was shaped by a number of factors, including the horrors of World War I and the transformations that occurred due to industrialization and urbanization.

While the development of industrial societies and the exponential growth of cities laid the groundwork for Modernism, it was the devastating effects of World War I that catalyzed and solidified the early Modernist ethos. The war's unprecedented destruction and the subsequent societal disillusionment propelled artists and thinkers to seek new forms of expression and to reject traditional conventions.

These experiences, particularly the disillusionment following World War I, led to an environment in which innovation, individualism, and rejection of the past flourished. This was expressed throughout various aspects of society and culture, from architecture and art to literature and politics, spurring the movement's aim to 'Make It New!' as coined by Ezra Pound. The war also offset the previously held notion of inevitable progress, making the modern condition more problematic and compelling a reevaluation of humanity's path forward.

In tandem with the impact of the Great War, modernist thinkers and artists were influenced by a variety of other social and intellectual currents, such as the existentialist and pragmatist movements, the rise of individualism, and the spread of democratic ideals. Therefore, it was the cumulative effect of these diverse influences that shaped the ethos of early Modernism.