To many Europeans, the turn of the 20th century was a time of optimism and confidence in
progress. To others, both European and non-European, it was an age of discontent and
anxiety. Describe the social, political, and economic changes during this era that
contributed to both of these attitudes. In particular explain the implications of the trend
known as cultural modernism and how did it differ from the force of the Enlightenment
thought, and how did modernism represent a loss of confidence in order, traditions, and
beliefs, and what were the political implications of mass culture?
