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concept1960s–1980s

postmodernism

Disciplines:
philosophy
architecture
literary criticism/literary theory
culture/cultural studies

Summary

Postmodernism was a cultural and intellectual movement that rejected grand narratives and universal truths, instead embracing diversity, complexity, and fragmentation.

Core Contribution

Postmodernism challenged traditional notions of objective reality and universal truth, arguing that all knowledge is socially constructed and relative. It emphasized the importance of language, power, and context in shaping our understanding of the world.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • Rejection of grand narratives (postmodernism's skepticism towards universal truths and metanarratives is a key feature of the movement, as seen in Lyotard's work)
  • Emphasis on language and power (postmodernism highlights the role of language in shaping our understanding of reality, as argued by Derrida and Foucault)
  • Celebration of diversity and complexity (postmodernism values diversity and complexity, rejecting simplistic or reductionist approaches to understanding the world, as evident in the work of Deleuze and Guattari)

Historical Influences

Friedrich Nietzsche Martin Heidegger Jacques Derrida

Intellectual Lineage

modernism existentialism structuralism

Allied Works

The Death of the AuthorThe Postmodern Condition Simulacres et Simulation

Contemporaries & Peers

structuralism poststructuralism critical theory

Minds Influenced

Jean-François Lyotard Michel Foucault Gilles Deleuze

Intellectual Posterity

poststructuralism deconstruction critical theory

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