What is the Genealogies of Modernity Project?
Genealogies of Modernity is an interdisciplinary humanities project supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities in collaboration with the Collegium Institute (University of Pennsylvania) and Beatrice Institute (Pittsburgh). The project includes a podcast series, a public-facing journal, and seminars exploring the many (and often conflicting) narratives we tell ourselves about what it means (or does not mean) to be “modern.”
We often think of “modernity” as a distinct time period in history—one that is said to start at different places, but (almost) always includes the present time. Yet people have been claiming to be modern since at least the third century BC. In this Genealogies of Modernity podcast episode, we hear from Harvard scholar Michael Puett about various claims to the origins of modernity in ancient China; in this journal article from Genealogies of Modernity founder Ryan McDermott, we learn about competing myths of modernity in relation to global histories of mountain climbing.
Genealogies of Modernity explores diverse narratives of “modern” life, opening possibilities to forge new relations to the past and discover resources for life-giving responses in the present.
The Genealogies of Modernity Podcast
Genealogies of Modernity is a narrative podcast released as a limited series of Ministry of Ideas and supported by a Media Production Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Each episode takes up a well-worn story about what it means to be modern and how we got here, then challenges that narrative with recent humanities scholarship.
Episodes include studies on the myth of the “traditional American family” in the Jamestown settlement; casta paintings and the origins of racism in colonial Mexico; and the relationship between literature, modernity, and morality in David Foster Wallace and Samuel Johnson. You can listen to the full series here.
Journal
The Genealogies of Modernity online journal is a public-facing publication featuring articles in four categories:
The last of these, “Decline & Renewal,” is devoted to critiquing grand historical narratives of modernity. Examples of past articles from our journal include:
This interview on genealogy and essay on Marcionism by Ratzinger Prize-winning theologian Cyril O’Regan
Interpretations of what Foucault and Nietzsche meant (and didn’t mean) by the word “genealogy,” and an exploration of modernity and rock climbing by Genealogies of Modernity founder Ryan McDermott
Essays on Hannah Arendt and 90s nostalgia and a Dostoyevskian reading of the Netflix series Beef by historian Elizabeth Stice
Edinburgh philosophy lecturer Takeshi Morisato’s takes on Maruyama Masao and Japanese modernities
Critiques of genealogical method and theories of tradition by Thomas Pfau and Anne Carpenter
Book and film reviews by Andrew Prevot on Vincent Llloyd, Daniel Fitzpatrick on Ernest Hemingway, Anthony Shoplik on Children of Men, and Kirsten Hall on Emma
And other genres and approaches, including a sonic analysis of Robert Frost’s poetry readings, a theological genealogy of Halloween, an interview on “anti-aphorisms,” and a study of Marianne Moore and Chinese dan performance
Articles for our journal run between 500-1500 words and are intended for non-specialized audiences. If you are interested in writing for Genealogies of Modernity, you can visit our submissions page for more information.
Where Should I Begin?
We recommend starting with episodes 1, 2, and 3 of our latest podcast season, which serve as introductions to the methodologies that guide the Genealogies of Modernity Project.
