When talking about the concept of modernity, most people will probably think that this concept is related to the contemporary times they live in, where many advanced technologies are present in the daily life. In this so-called modern era, people from different regions and cultural backgrounds share many similar characteristics, such as their daily technology or civilization, their general and scientific knowledge, and even their way of dressing. In fact, many characteristics or values ​​that differ from shared contemporary characteristics or values ​​are often referred to as "traditional" or "alternative." Some believed that the beginning of modernity was marked by the Age of Enlightenment where rationalism prevailed. However, others believe that the seed of modernity had been planted even before that time. Using Stuart Hall's The West and the Rest: Discourse of Power (1995) as a primary reference, this essay will attempt to explore the roots of modernity stretching back to the era of European exploration and colonialism. . In this essay, the concept of modernity will be mainly considered as a cultural phenomenon caused by the domination of European values ​​over other cultures across the world, which results in the universality of modern societies. Roberts (1985) cited in Hall (1996, p. 187) define modern history as “…the march towards the era dominated by the West”. To better understand such a definition, we must first look at the established meaning of what is called “the West.” According to Hall, in the discourse about the West and the Rest, the concept of the West is not simply based on geographic location, but rather on a type of society that emerged in 16th century Europe that shared a number of similarities . ... middle of paper ...... its cultures would have eventually found their own path to civilization if they had not challenged Western cultures in the past. Source: Hall, Stuart "The West and the Rest: 1 - Introduction." Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies. Ed. Stuart Hall, David Held, Don Hubert and Kenneth Thompson. 1996. Blackwell Publishers, Ltd.: Oxford. pp. 185 – 189Losurdo, Domenico. “Chapter 1: What is liberalism?” 2011. Verso: London and New York. West and the rest: 1 - Introduction." Modernity: an introduction to modern societies. Ed. Stuart Hall, David Held, Don Hubert and Kenneth Thompson. 1996. Blackwell Publishers, Ltd.: Oxford. pp. 185 – 189 Losurdo, Domenico. "Chapter 1: What is liberalism?" Liberalism: a counter-history 2011. Verso: London and New York pp.. 1 - 34