POSTMODERN

PHILOSOPHY

Postmodern
Philosophy
is a philosophical direction
which is critical of the
foundational assumptions
and structures of philosophy.

 Modernism defines humanity

in terms of the thinking. In
effect, modernism
dehumanizes us by
convincing us that we are
only a small cog in a great,
mechanistic universe. By
exalting individualism and
analysis, it alsohinders the
development of a relational,
holistic approach to life and

 The heart of
postmodernism is the
view that
realitycannotbe known
nor described objectively.
This contrasts to the
modernist view that says
realitycanbe understood
objectively.

1.What was the world

like in this period of
time?

There is a renewed vision of human

society and conversation by
presenting a deeper understanding
of the moral-practical-historical
nature of human knowledge and
rationality, emphasizing the primacy
and importance of human agency,
value, tradition, and communal
dialogical efforts.

2.What was the

peoples source of
truth,
knowledge,&
wisdom in this
period?
Postmodern
Philosophy

 Postmodernity, as a worldview,
refuses to allow any single
defining source for truth and
reality. The new emphasis is on
difference, plurality and
selective forms of tolerance.
Postmodern thinking is full of
absurdities and inconsistencies.
It is, for example, the worldview
that says no worldview exists. It
is an anti-theory that uses
theoretical tools to neutralize all
theories. It demands an imposed

3.What were the

philosophical
themes/the focus
of philosophy in
this time?
Postmodern
Philosophy

Postmodernists gave up optimism and

universal objectivity and replace them
with pessimism and skepticism.
Another slightly different
interpretation is accordingly
postmodernists did not replace the
optimistic, modernist narrative with a
narrative of their own. Instead,
postmodernists wanted to give up
grand-narratives altogether and focus
on living in the moment without
ideological constraints.

 One of the themes in Postmodern

philosophy is a denial of universal,
objective truth. This is clearly declared
in Jean- Francois Lyotards famous
statement incredulity towards
metanarrative.4A metanarrative
refers to a unifying story that seeks to
explain how the world isin other
words a metanarrative is a worldview.
Lyotard suggests that we should be
skeptical of such broad explanations.
For example, the statement God so
loved the world is nonsensical to
Postmodernists for two reasons: (1)
they deny the existence of God, and

4.What were the

question asked
during this
time?
Postmodern
Philosophy

QUESTIONS ASKED.
1.HOW DO I KNOW THE TRUE
INTERPRETATION OF A TEXT?

2.CAN LANGUAGE OBJECTIVELY

DESCRIBE TRUTH?

Thank You!