POSTMODERN: SYNOPSIS
The word `post-modern' covers a diffuse range of concerns, whether or not one
ultimately supports their final analysis. But some basic threads seem to
be:
-
Rejection of a universal notion of truth, and a rejection of metaphysics.
Truth is relative, often seen as culturally derived. Language is not a
direct reflection of reality out there.
-
Rejection of a unifying view of history and modern view of progress. One
cannot grasp the whole, only a particularperspective.
-
Rejection of the notion of a centred self, and self as a metaphysical subject
behind our thoughts and feelings. Whatever self is, it is a part of
community and traditions.
In sum, a loss of confidence in the inherited order of things. But
postmodern
is not simply disillusionment with what was trustworthy. There are
also glimmers of new, perhaps at times even more solid formulations.
For full article, see:
Justice And Openness From a Global Perspective