Monday, January 25, 2010
Postmodernism
What is modernism?
Modernism is described by a quote in Jim Powell's Postmodernism for Beginners. It says, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world." What fell apart were the concepts of the Age of Enlightenment, or the idea of progress. Enlightenment thinkers such as Francis Bacon, and Marx believed that by using universal science and logic, they could rid the world of superstition that kept humanity from progressing.
What is postmodernism?
The term postmodernism is used in many different ways. For some it means anti-modern while for others it is just the modification of the modernist viewpoint. The postmodern viewpoint rejects some modernist concepts such as belief in the truth, supremacy of reason, and the idea that reason will ultimately lead to a better society. Lyotard defines postmodernism as the rejection of grand narratives or ultimate truth. In rejecting grand narratives postmodernism favors mini-narratives, rather than large scale world concepts. Postmodernism has lead to a change in how we believe. Since the world is full of many different contradictory viewpoints, we must accept that there is not one true reality. As Powell says, "We must come to realize that our ideas about are not eternal but made. Postmodern people, instead of dreaming that one day the world will be united under the universal banner of Marxism, Christianity, or Science, are now interested in seeing the world as a kind of carnival of cultures, a tribal gathering." To me, postmodernism in a nutshell can be described as anti-form.
Modernism is described by a quote in Jim Powell's Postmodernism for Beginners. It says, "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world." What fell apart were the concepts of the Age of Enlightenment, or the idea of progress. Enlightenment thinkers such as Francis Bacon, and Marx believed that by using universal science and logic, they could rid the world of superstition that kept humanity from progressing.
What is postmodernism?
The term postmodernism is used in many different ways. For some it means anti-modern while for others it is just the modification of the modernist viewpoint. The postmodern viewpoint rejects some modernist concepts such as belief in the truth, supremacy of reason, and the idea that reason will ultimately lead to a better society. Lyotard defines postmodernism as the rejection of grand narratives or ultimate truth. In rejecting grand narratives postmodernism favors mini-narratives, rather than large scale world concepts. Postmodernism has lead to a change in how we believe. Since the world is full of many different contradictory viewpoints, we must accept that there is not one true reality. As Powell says, "We must come to realize that our ideas about are not eternal but made. Postmodern people, instead of dreaming that one day the world will be united under the universal banner of Marxism, Christianity, or Science, are now interested in seeing the world as a kind of carnival of cultures, a tribal gathering." To me, postmodernism in a nutshell can be described as anti-form.
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