Postmodernism
The Theory
The term Postmodernism describes various contemporary theories and philosophies. Sifting through the pretentious pedagogy and academic obfuscation, what it comes down to is this: The idea of "modern" Western civilization represents reason and scientific empiricism, democratic responsibility, secular humanism, capitalistic growth and progress. Today, however, for a variety of reasons we are no longer following these modern idealistic principles. We have evolved into a "post-modern" period of cultural chaos and confusion. This is evident in several different fields.
The "modern" concepts of Newtonian science began to fall apart in the 19th and early 20th centuries with the advent of Darwinism, Relativity, Ecology, Quantum Mechanics, the Uncertainty Principle, and Genetic manipulation. Nothing is as clear cut as it was when first explained by Newton. The certainty of modern science has given way to Entropy and Chaos Theory.
SCIENCE
LITERATURE
Postmodern critical theory has incorporated elements of Marxism, feminism, and a host of other "isms" in its embrace of semiotics, poststructuralism and deconstruction. The written word no longer means what it seems to say. The visual image dominates in the Society of the Spectacle and the Realm of Simulation.
ART & ARCHITECTURE
mODERNITY
Modernity in art encompassed every- thing from realism to impressionism and expressionism. Postmodern art reflects an abandonment of individual creativity-- the celebration of the pastiche and pop art. In architecture, we have moved from the modern functionality of the Bauhaus School to a postmodern embracing of decora- tion, symbols, color, and eclecticism.
Modern civilization embraced rationality and reason, certainty and structure. Postmodern social theory--building on romanticism and existentialism-- leads to commodification, massification, and nihilism. In a postmodern society, capitalism turns into exploitation and greed; reason is replaced by passion; skepticism turns into cynicism. Individualism and competition are replaced by retribalization and affirmative action.
SOCIAL THEORY
These,
then, are the faces of what is termed postmodernism.
Collectively, they represent a loss of faith in the rationality and certainty
of the Enlightenment, a loss of direction and security. If we had to
offer one definition of the various strands of postmodernism, it would be
this: Postmodernism is a pervasive rejection of reason and structure.
To this extent, the definition of Post-Intellectualism is one definitive
aspect of postmodernism.