Modernity: The Phase That Never Was

The provided text argues that Modernity and the Enlightenment are not actual historical phases humanity has progressed through, but rather a marketing campaign or a myth. The author posits that the archetype of the rational, autonomous individual, central to Enlightenment thought, does not accurately reflect human behaviour, even among historical intellectual figures. Through a critique of philosophical concepts, economic theories, and democratic ideals, the text suggests that society is a "cultural chimera," a blend of premodern beliefs, rationalist aspirations, and postmodern scepticism, rather than a purely rational age. The piece concludes by stating that we are defending a "ghost" of a phase that never truly existed, clinging to a simulacrum of reason that underpins our institutions.https://philosophics.blog/2025/09/13/modernity-the-phase-that-never-was/