Postmodernism, Modernity, and The Tradition of Dissent

Postmodernism, Modernity,
Postmodernism, Modernity, and the

and the Tradition
Tradition of Dissent
of Dissent
The Paradox of Postmodernism
➢ The term "postmodern" is inherently paradoxical, as it

suggests a state beyond modernity.
Modernity
➢ Modernity is characterized ➢ The Complexity of

by: Modernity
○ Rapid technological ○ It encompasses both progress and
advancement regression, hope and despair.
○ Modernist thinkers often responded
○ The rise of capitalism
to the contradictions and challenges
○ The decline of traditional of modernity in complex and often
authority structures (e.g., contradictory ways.
the Church)
○ A focus on individualism
and rational thought
Postmodernism as a Response to
Modernity
➢ Postmodernism emerges as a critique of the
excesses and limitations of modernity.
➢ It challenges traditional notions of truth, progress,
and authority.
➢ Postmodernism is characterized by:
○ A focus on fragmentation and deconstruction
○ A skepticism towards grand narratives and totalizing
ideologies
The Elusive Nature of Postmodernism
The Difficulty in defining the term “postmodern”

➢ “Not only does what counts as 'postmodern' change
from writer to writer but what is 'meant' by most
other terms depends on who is doing the 'meaning,'
and what they mean by 'meaning”.
➢ Not only are 'postmodernism', 'postmodernity'
and 'the postmodern' difficult to define, but like
their ('-modern-') counterparts, they refer to
processes of definition and redefinition.
○ They obscure rather than clarify.
The challenges in dissenting from Postmodernism
Three reasons:
1. postmodernity is still so amorphous. Although it is all-but ubiquitous it
remains ill-defined.
2. the 'postmodern' emerges into fierce debates about the role of language
and almost all commentators self-consciously deploy their terms and
definitions with strategic, often combative intention
3. dissent from postmodernism is especially difficult because
postmodernism - the awkward label announces this at the very least IS
itself so thoroughly imbued with the spirit of dissent
Postmodernism's Critical and Ambiguous Nature
Postmodernism as a Continuation of Modernity's Critical Impulse
➢ Modernity has been characterized by the tension between impulses which

were critical or skeptical-destructive or negative impulses and other
impulses which were more positive, affirmative impulses of hope and
longing.
○ Postmodernism can be seen as an extension of the critical, skeptical,
dissenting even nihilistic impulse of modernity.
➢ The paradox of postmodern critique
○ Postmodernism is both a form of critique and a product of the very
system it critiques. It can be seen as both a radical challenge to the
status quo and a complicit participant in it
Postmodernism's Roots in History
➢ Criticisms leveled against postmodernism are not
entirely new, but rather echo critiques of earlier
intellectual movements, such as Romanticism and
Modernism.
○ Georg Lukács deplored the tendencies (nihilism,
irony, fragmentation) of modernist literature
(Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Musil)
➢ Postmodernism is characterized by a complex interplay
of affirmation and negation, hope and despair. It can
be both a celebration of diversity and a critique of
nihilism.
Postmodernism and Marxism
➢ Postmodernism often challenges the
utopian aspirations of modernism,
particularly those associated with
Marxism. It argues that such utopian
visions can lead to authoritarianism and
totalitarianism.
➢ Despite the failures of real-world socialist
experiments, Marx's critique of capitalism remains
influential. Many contemporary thinkers continue
to draw on Marxist concepts to analyze and
The Habermas-Lyotard Debate
➢ Lyotard defines postmodernism as a

“suspicion (Incredulous) of
metanarratives”—a skepticism of
overarching, universal theories that
claim to explain everything, such as
those that guided Enlightenment and
modernist
This standsthought.
in direct opposition to Habermas, who advocates
for universal ideals and the continuation of the Enlightenment
project. Habermas sees a universal “interest in consensus” as
essential for societal progress, whereas Lyotard views such
ideals as rigid, limiting, and potentially oppressive
metanarratives.
Postmodernism, Modernism, and the Classical
Tradition
➢ Bernstein points out that Hegel’s philosophy, and by

extension Habermas’s, focuses on reconciliation
(Versöhnung), aiming for unity and understanding
among people, even across generations. Habermas’s
communication theory aligns with this ideal, seeking to
overcome “systematically distorted communication” to
foster shared understanding. This reconciliatory
approach is anti-postmodern because postmodernism
celebrates fragmentation, singularity, and rupture,
rejecting the notion of harmonizing different parts of
THE END?
THE BEGINNING?

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Postmodernism, Modernity,

Postmodernism, Modernity, and the

➢ The term "postmodern" is inherently paradoxical, as it

➢ Modernity is characterized ➢ The Complexity of

The Difficulty in defining the term “postmodern”

Postmodernism as a Continuation of Modernity's Critical Impulse

➢ Modernity has been characterized by the tension between impulses which

➢ Lyotard defines postmodernism as a

➢ Bernstein points out that Hegel’s philosophy, and by

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