Postmodernism is Modern

8/14/2019 Postmodernism is Modern

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Modernism

To understand Post-Modernism youmust understand Modernism

The modern period is a long period of

time which started roughly around1500 ad

This period beginning in 1500 and

ending around 1800 ad is nowreferred to as the Early ModernPeriod

But what makes one Modern? And

what is Modern Philosophy?


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Early Modern Period

Modernism to me and a lot of FYPtutors represents a break from theMedieval view of the universe: a

hierarchical concept of the universeput forth by Plato, the Neo-Platonists and early Christians

specifically Dante to name a few.


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Platos Hierarchical Universe

la to o n e b e g in s u n d e rg rou n d a n d m u st w o rk th e ir w a y u p wrds the sun . This symbolizes th e a scen d in g p u rsu it o f kn o w

e stin g th a t o b je ctive tru th s ca n b e o b ta in e d if th e y a re p u rs


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Dantes HierarchicalUniverse

D an te seem s to h a ve ad op te d Plato an-Th e n e o p lato n ists con cep t of ah ie ra rch ica l

U n ive rse a n d h a s p u t it in to a C h ristia nC on text T h is v ie w a lo n g w ith p la to s re p e sen ts

V iew of th e u n ive rse of th e M e d iev al Pe


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Early Moderns/TheRenaissance

So what directly preceded Early-Modernismwas the Medieval which held ahierarchical view of the universe with manat the bottom and God at the top

The early moderns such as Pico DellaMirandola (1463-1494) would place manoutside of this hierarchy in a position toview the world as gods creation and

man as the being who makes gods workmanifest in his work On The Dignity ofMan

The discovery of the heliocentric universe

by Copernicus (1473-1543) and Galileo1564-1642 and shit mi ht have


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Here is said Universe


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Oh shit! The Christians werewrong

But this doesnt mean that God would be takenout of philosophy, but mans position in relationto God would change

During the Renaissance the Humanist philosophy

developed

This philosophy put an emphasis on the Dignity ofMan because of their ability to distinguish rightand wrong

Humanists reject the Calvanistic/Lutheranconcept of predestination saying that man mustchoose for himself in order to be good

i i


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Renaissance Men = Humanists=

Early Moderns The big Early modern thinkers we learnedabout are

Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)

Pico Della Mirandola(1463-1494) Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

Francois Rabelais (1494 1553)

William Shakespeare (1564 1616)

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 1519) Michel De Montaigne (1533-1592)

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

R i H


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Renaissance Humor as arejection of medieval thought

modes Machiavellis the prince had a massive impact onpolitical thought, breaking from the oldfeudal/medieval view to what would becomecapitalism

De Vinci had an impact on art presenting man in hisnatural state, emerging from nature

Shakespeare depicted the politicalman in nature in The tempest

The new political stability of some

Countries gave birth to secular life andOutlets like the liberal arts. This led to theBirth of satire as a means of secular com-Mentary on political/spiritual mindsets


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Erasmus and Rabelais :Erasm us T h e Pra ise o f Fo lly is a criticism o f sch o la stic le a rn in g a n d th e d o ctr

a n d p ra ctice s o f th e C a th o lic C h u rch T h is in d ictm e n t is m a d e th ro u g h th e u se o f S a tire a n e w w ay o f

q u e stio n in g a n d criticizin g a u th o rity

:R a b e la is U sed satire m u ch like E ra sm u s to p o in t o u t th e

a b su rd ity o f re lig io u s p u rsu its a n d life in,g e n e ra l callin g m e n to b e h a p p y in th e fa ce o f

o p p re ssio n , ,R ea d ers frie n d s if yo u tu rn th ese p ag e s p u t

, , ,yo u r p re ju d ice a sid e fo r re a lly th e re 's n o th in g, , h e re th a t's o u tra g e o u s n o th in g sick o r b a d

.o r co n ta g io u s N o t th a t Isit he re g lo w in g w ith: :p rid e fo r m y b o o k a ll yo u 'll fin d is la u g h te r

,T h a t's a ll th e g lo ry m y h e a rt is a fte r see in g, .h o w sorro w e a ts yo u d e fe a ts yo u I'd ra th e r

,w rite a b o u t la u g h in g th a n cryin g Fo r la u g h te r.m a ke s m e n h u m a n a n d co u ra e o u s B E


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The end of the Renaissance

The end of the renaissance left man in a positionto judge older thought modes, but there was nooverarching objective behind it.

Man was left with the beginnings of capitalism

from Machiavelli and the beginnings of modernscience from Francis Bacon which suggestedman might dominate and from nature throughscience, there was also the advent the liberal

arts (Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Erasmus/Rabelais) From this arose the philosophies ofSkepticism

and Empiricism

Both Skepticism and empiricism would play huge

parts in defining the modern period.

Sk ti i


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Skepticism Michel De Montaigne personifies

skepticism. Like Erasmus and Rabelais before

him he embraces modesty andhumility: Upon the highestthrone in the world we are stillseated upon our asses

This is the beginning of trulymodern philosophy because ofits sympathy for all men

But although he considered mansjudgment to be feeble he did notconsider it to be wholly futile in anihilistic sense but rather that inorder to get at the truth of thematter one must be willing to

immerse oneself in constantdeliberation questioning habits,morals and super celestialopinions

This is because we becomemonsters when we mistakeourselves for God and if mandoes think of himself as god hewill become immoral so

( -M iche lD e M on taig n e 1 5 3 3)1 5 9 2


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Mad Influence

Montaines thought had serious impact onNietzsche and Shakespeare (think on thecannibals in relation to The Tempest,specifically Caliban).

But Montaignes skepticism is not whatwould define modernism, it acts as atransition from renaissance thought tomodern thought

Montaigne believes there is no certainty insubject or object which reflectsrenaissance skepticism, but the modernswould take this and say that there is

certainty in both subject and object


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Bacon and Modern Science

Bacon basically invented modern science

This was a drastic departure fromAristotelian and Platonic contemplativeunderstanding, placing man in a non-didactic position aiming to collect the

facts that will form the foundation fornatural philosophy

This is not speculative but certain, but itdoes relate to Montaigne in that Baconbelieved man to be a limited being in theworld

Bacons understanding is limited to Nature

and the Natural and like Montaigne does


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Progress


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Descatres and Modernism

Descartes turned from theworld of books to the bookof the world (ie. Fromscholastics/the bible to the

realm of experience) Descartes doubts (like

Montaigne), but he is notseeking knowledge but

certainty (like Bacon) Certainty and knowledge are

not the same thingcertainty is is arelationship to our ownthinking and doubt is the


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Certainty

Descartes outlines 3 doubts in the meditations the first at the level of thesenses, the second at the distinction between dreams/reality and thethird at the elements of knowledge/mathematics

This state of restlessness leads man to look for moreindubitable certainty

In this way Descartes embraces the doctrine of EternalTruths in making man more spiritually and intellectual

restless because it is through this restlessness thanman can differentiate the certain from the uncertain

It was Descartes belief that we must drastically reformour thinking in order to come upon a certain

grounding This grounding is founded in self consciousness I think,

therefore I am

For Descartes Knowing and Being are present in man

It is up to man to decide whether Descartes certainty is


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The Enlightenment

The enlightenment is like the pinnacle of modernity. It setforth many of the principles of modernists and is one ofthe main catalysts of post-modernism

After the revolution of knowledge commenced byGalileo Galilei,Ren Descartes and

Isaac Newton, and in a climate of increasing disaffection with rindividual,society and thestate.[4] Its leaders believed they could lead their states toprogress after a long period oftradition,irrationality,superstition, andtyranny which they imputed to theMiddle Ages. In addition, Enlightenment ideals were

influential in theBalkan independence movements against theOttoman Empire,and many historians and philosophers credit the Enlightenmeclassical liberalism,socialism,democracy, andmodern capitalism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galileihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descarteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_enlightenment%23cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_(philosophy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrationalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrationalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_(philosophy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_enlightenment%23cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descarteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei


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Enlightenment Thinkers

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Thomas Jefferson (17431826)

John Locke (16321704 Thomas Paine (17371809)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 1778)

Adam Smith (17231790
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jeffersonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lockehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Painehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Painehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Painehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lockehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lockehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jeffersonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson


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Empiricism and Locke n theEnlightenment

I gotta speed this up Locke (1632-1704)

A massively hugecomponent of

Modernism He loved Descartes and

believed thatunderstanding is

separate from thesenses

But Lockes system ofempiricism appealsmuch more to 18th and

19th century thinkers


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Empiricism and Modernism

Lockes empiricism is based on thestandpoint ofsensation andreflection

Human Welfare and God cometogether as one

Sensation

R e fle ctio n

G O D


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Empiricism/Modernity andProgress

For Locke, through empiricism humans cancontrol themselves rationally through selfdistancing

Human welfare and God come together as one

We dont need to give up secularity in order tobe religious For some this emphasis on human will takes the

good out of man What matters for Locke in man is enthusiasm,

this gives way to power, this power can leadman to change his habits and customs, itseems that this power over oneself can alsobe applied to mans power over nature

This gives cause to thoughts that man can

shape nature for his own needs in aro ressive manner. This is one of the main


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Modern Civil Society: Life,Liberty, Health and Property

Newton advanced science

Government has positive role to remedyevil, otherwise we will destroy each

other God wants us to enjoy the fruits of our

labour

S ta te o f N a tu re Pro p e rty

/G o d C ivic S ta te


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Government and Empiricism

We the people make government inorder to further Gods purposes

Locke is the Bourgeoise ideal (but well

get back to that) We have right we had them before this

is the introduction to civic

government We must live by laws to be free

Political power: a right of makinglaws with the penalty of death and all

less penalties for regulating human


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Thomas Paine and theAmerican Revolution

(17371809) People are naturally endowed with freedom Rejected Christianity

Believed government was a necessary evilonly there to secure safety of people Paine wanted to create a new sense of

national individuality Government gets authority because we

invest it with authority We entrust authority in those who govern

over us and who we overthrow

For Paine Nature Justifies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Painehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine


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For Paine Nature JustifiesAuthority

Nature justifies governmental authority because in

nature the husband exists in a level over the wife,the parent exists in a level over the child

Political authority is granted because people arepsychologically predisposed towards monarchy


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The FrenchRevolution/Rousseau

Its really important,influenced americanrevolution, but I cantgo into it, just

remember whatRousseau said manis born free buteverywhere he is inchains

He thinks he canrender our beingenslave legitimate

He says the one thinglost in this is the

freedom to harm


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Rousseaus General Will

The General will is always towards thepublic good and utility

Its is determned by an accordance ofprivate interests into commoninterests

It is calculated by eliminating the plusesand minuses and adding the um of the

differences There are 2 fundamental conditions for the

emergence of the general will:

1.Informed populace

2.Independent thought


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Kant

Kants concept of the categorical imperative is verymuch like Rousseaus general will

Kant is founded on reason and builds on Rousseausconcept of this that reason is calculative and can

act as means to an end For Kant the object conforms to our thinking

For him there is a break from empiricism is hisconcepts of a priori and a posteriori

A priori is that which preceeds experience and istrascendantal

A Posteriori is what relates to experience andempiricism

A posteriori is a hypothesis which remains in a state of

uncertainty until it is proven to be a priori and


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Kant and the modern conceptof Freedom

Freedom comesabout after areconciliation ofwill/duty and

desire/inclination(happiness)

It is because of thissplit that we

suffer The only true

source of value isin the will, not

god not naturenot ha iness


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Romanticism and Sublime

Concept taken from Kant It is based on duality of universe good/evil,

pleasure/pain etc. Romanticism can be described as emotions

recollected in tranquility Sublime is found in wonder and fear the

unification of these 2 is the limit ofexperience

Imagine being lost in a forest, afraid, but youcome across a beautiful waterfall and marvelat it. This is the sublime


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Romantics

Ch Chateaubriand(1768 1848)

Holderlin (1770 1843)

Hegel


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Hegel

The Pinnacle of

Modernity Pinnacle of Enlightenment/Age of

Reason

Reason determines History

History is God Truth is reconciliation of 2

opposites Thesis and Anti-thesis this is done through theprocess of Synthesis

A Thesis is something Humanand conforming to practicalevents

An Antithesis is something

governed by Spirit and Reason S irit is the unseen reason

( -1770)1 8 3 1


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Post-Enilghtenment Marx believed that

capitalism -- which was fostered in the enlightenmentlike previous socioeconomic systems, will produce intefeudalism, capitalism itself will be displaced bycommunism, aclassless society which emerges after a transitional pedictatorship of the proletariat.

1 8 1 8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship_of_the_proletariathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship_of_the_proletariathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship_of_the_proletariathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship_of_the_proletariathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless_societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism


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Marx and Modernity

But Marxs view of history being the history ofclass struggle is Hegelian

Communism is a reaction to capitalism whichto me personifies modernity in its conceptof progress

Marx vehemently rejected industrial progressand colonialism which are all proponents ofcapitalism

The modern condition for Marx is therecognition of the position of the bourgeoisover the proletariat

Adam Smiths (1723 1790) views of

Nietzsche: Pre emptive Post


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Nietzsche: Pre-emptive Post-Modernism

Anti-Hegel Antichristian

Proposed a philosophyof immorality

Called himself the Anti-Christ

Antithesis of Platonismand Hegelianism(modernity)

We live under the lightof a dead star (Godis dead) but we arestill living in light ofit

B refutin God we -1 8 4 0 1 9 0 0

WWI


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WWI

This carried a lot of hints that modernism

wasnt working Colonialism, capitalism and progress

resulted in a massive scale world war

This left the people of the Westdisillusioned


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Einstein and Relativity

-1 8 7 9 1 9 5 5 . M C E sch e r R e la tiv ity

1 9 5 3


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Einstein

Rethought space and time

Space and time are relative

Speed of light is constant

Einstein likes simplicity

With invention of A-bomb came endof progress


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Freud

lva d or D a lia n d Luis B u n u el ( )n ch ie n a n d a lo u film

d D e sire)te the Ants Which Represent

cia ld M o ra l D e ca y in th e w o rld a s w e ll

-1 8 5 6

1 9 3 9


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Freud and Surrealism

Refutes Hegel because Hegelthought philosophy was a higherscience

Believed that art, religion andphilosophy are only methods ofwish fulfillment but science is theactual truth

Man is internally governed byconsciousness (super-ego)

The super ego governs morality but

is not necessarily related to reason

C f


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Consequences ofpsychoanalysis

This means man is not universally grounded intruth or reason

People saw man as being governed by theunconscious and sought to bring forthrepresentations of this in art

S a lva d o r D a li T h e D re a m


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Surrealism

This new art form became a philosophicalconcept when Andre Breton wrote thesurrealist manifesto in 1924

Psychicautomatism in its pure state, by which one proporeason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concSurrealism to poetry and literature, but makes it

E d S li
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist_automatismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist_automatism


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Endnote on Surrealism

A lot of the popularity andjustification of surrealism can beseen as a legitimate reaction to thehorrors and disillusionment of war

T h eV isag e

O f W a r-S a l

V a d o r D a li( )1940

The Wasteland: T S Eliot and


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The Wasteland: T.S Eliot andThe Disillusionment of

Modernity

,W h a t a re th e ro o ts th a t clu tch w h a t b ra n ch e sgrow

,O ut o f th is ston y ru b b ish? S on of m an , ,You cannot say or guess for you know only

A heap of broken images- . . ( ) T S Eliot The Waste Land

Th W t L d


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The Waste Land

The refrence to an Unreal City in the waste landcan be seen as a reference to surrealism andthe disillusionment of the times resulting fromthe horror of WWI

Eliot was a hardcore Christian. This can be seenas his reaction to the depravity of moderntimes

But this is not how it comes across to the reader,

this is as it should be. It seems in the poem that the Waste land will not

be redeemed in a western sense as the FischerKing (a symbol of fertility) waits for rain thatwill bring life back to the Waste Land but willnot come


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Looking to the East

- T h e Fishe r K in g is u se d as a sym b o lfo r th e social an d m ora ld e cay o f th e

W est ( )much likeDali s Ants whichh a s b u ilt u p p ro g re ss a s tru th

B u t w h ich h a s re su lte d in d isillu sio n m e n t

- The only hope Eliotoffers in the Waste Land

is h o p e th a t th e tra d itio n s o f th e e a st,M ig h t re d e e m m a n su c h a s B u d d h ism a n dH in d u ism

, p oe m en d s S h an tih sh an tih sh an tih th is is an a n cie n t h in d u p ea cetra


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The West is Fucked

We Fucked

Up


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The Linguistic Turn

The linguistic turn refers to a major development inWestern philosophy during the20th century, the most important characteristic of whifocusing of

philosophy, and consequently also the other

humanities, towards a primary focus on the relationsh.

Id say Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951) is the father ofthe linguistic turn

- Wittgenstein put forth the concept of lan g u ag eg a m e s

- Fo r K a n t a n d th e m o d e rn w o rld a th in g w a s a th in g in itsA n d an ap p ea ran ce o f a th in g an d th e o n ly w ay to rea chT h in g in itse lf is th ro u g h m o ra ls

- W ittg e n ste in saw la n g u a g e a s a g a m e b e cau se it h a s ruN o t b e ca u se it su g g e sts m e a n in g in a th in g in itse lf

- /R e m e m b e r fo r a lo t o f tu to rs p h ilo sop h e rs K a n t is th e

e p ito m e

Hannah Arendt and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_centuryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attentionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attentionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_centuryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_philosophy


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Hannah Arendt andTotalitarianism

The unspeakable horror anddisillusionment of modernity werebrought up a few notches by World

War Two

Essential Points of


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Essential Points ofTotalitarianism

1. Sets in when regime has no more enemies

2. Totalitarianism never stops it is in continuous flux

3. Not an interest in a comprehensible political end.It confronts utility and self interest

4. Rule by Terror is characterized by unprecedentedlawfulness. It is more obedient to super humanforces. It emancipates oppressors andoppressed from reality

5. Individual surrenders his individuality. Byinternalizing totalitarian ideal the practitionersof totalitarianism are part of superflity and willeasily sacrifice themselves


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Arendt and Totalitarianism

How does a Totalitarian State come about?1. Destruction of man as a political agent- this is done by taking away the rights of

man2. Destruction of man as a moral personalityThis is done by making subjects complicit in

the crimes of the government (ie.Sophies choice)

3. Destruction of Individuality- Mans ability to create is taken away

Th C ti f M d it


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The Corruption of Modernity The philosophy of totalitarianism takes ideas from many

enlightenment and modern thinkers and twists them forits own ends proving the corruptibility of the modern age In a Lockiean sense the totalitarians believe they are

smoothly executing the Law of Nature It relates to Darwin in that the totalitarians believe

themselves to be naturally superior to other races Totalitarianism is consistent with Heideggers thought

because it negates the oppressors and oppressed fromreality

It relates to Nietzsche in that Tot. is in a constant state of flux Tot. is in opposition to Rousseaus General Will because it

creates an imbalance in the general will by discluding jewsetc. It is opposed to Marx and communism because of its

deemphasis on community and sociability It is opposed to Kant because it is a means to an end, but it

is not governed by universality but rather by man himself It refutes Hegel because it is not a natural occurrence in

Heidegger The Crucial point


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Heidegger: The Crucial pointof section 6

Spend a little more time to understandHeidegger and youll understand our age

-Angus Johnston

-1 8 8 91 9 7 6

Negation and Nothingness


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Negation and Nothingness- Negation = Specific Act of

Intellect- Nothing = Everything- When man realizes he is in a

state of nothingness he willexperience anxiety it is in thisthat man finds his true nature,

spirit and authenticity- Once man has experienced

nothing and seen what needsto be done he can negateanxiety and transcendnothingness this will lead himto authenticity

- Negation is what you do becausenothing you create will getbeyond world of things andtranscend nothing

- This can be seen as a massivedeparture from Modernism


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Heidegger's Nazism

Heidegger saw that his true calling was to bea Nazi

He saw the U.S as a representation ofconsumerism (which is infatuated with

material things and Heidegger hatesthingness)- He saw European socialism and communism

as idealistic, impossible and in-authentic- This is why he decided upon national

socialism because it promoted bravery inthe face of nothingness which couldconstitute genocide

- He saw National Socialism as a better paththan materialism and communism because

it was more authentic to him

Existentialism Feminism and


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Existentialism Feminism andSimone De Beauvoir

Satre and de Beauvoir

- Beauvoir took elements of Heidegger and Jean Paul Sartre s philosophy to createinist view of the world


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De Beauvoir and Heidegger

For existentialists existence precedes essence Anxiety is the result of the realization thatOne is nothing unless they build themselves up

through negation

- For de Beauvoir you are in Bad Faith or (in-authentic life) if you see fully that existenceprecedes essence but you deny it

- We would love to have an original essence butthere is no answer and will never be

(therefore) the human is No Thing =Nothing-The only way you are is if you formulate and

make yourself

-


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De Beauvoirs Feminism

The apparently universal category ofthe human throughout the history ofthe Western world is gender-biased,and has been employed to promote

the interests of men One is not born a woman, one

becomes one. This relates back to existentialism

where one is born without an essencebut must build it up over time In light of this women must pursue a

transcendent project, to live as free

existents, who can overcome their

Feminism


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Feminism Along with feminist theorists like Simone de Beauvoir and

Judith Butler women were given a new position in theworld

They would no longer represent the male ideal offemininity but create their own essence

Film Still Cindy Sherman Untitled Cindy Sherman

Judith Butler


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Judith Butler

Ok I dont know that much

about her She is a Hegelian post-

structuralist to myknowledge

She revolutionized feminism

and queer theory This legitimization of queer

and feminist theorydelivered a crushing blowto the modern concept of

the equal rights of man It did this by making gender

a specification of maleand female but addingmany variations like

transsexual, homosexual,

Transition to Post


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Transition to Post-Modernism

S o w ith com m u n ism w e sa w th e a n tith e sis o f th em o d e rn ist co n ce p t o f ca p ita lism

W e saw th e d ea th of G od who for the moderns, ,g a ve u s o u r rig h t to life lib e rty h e a lth a n d

property W e saw th e death ofthe m odern concept ofthed o m in io n o f m a n w ith th e u p risin g o f fe m in ism

W e saw n o th in g n e ss in th e fa ce o f w h a t w a s o n cefu llo f m e a n in gto the moderns

A n d w e sa w th e h u m a n ca p a city to d o e vilin am o d e rn co n te xt in th e h o lo ca u st

A n d sin ce it d o e sn t see m to b e g e ttin g b e tte r w eca n o n ly co n clu d e th a t m o d e rn ity is n o t th ep a th to h a p p in e ss a n d th a t o u r a ctio n s a re n o t

m e a n s to a n e n d


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Post-Modernism

Ornament Barnett Newman

-Jean Francois LyotardAuthor of What is

- Post Modernism

Deconstruct on


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Deconstruct on

Lyotard avoids chronology and refutes Hegel in this anti-historical manner

Lyotard has been described as one of the most un-

systematic philosophers in the tradition of Nietzschewho said I mistrust all systematizers and avoid them.

This didnt go over well with many analytical philosophersbecause of Lyotards emphasis on relativism and hisinconsistency, but again in a nietzschian sense this isthe substance of the universe (ie, do I contradictmyself? I contradict myself!

Meta-Narrative


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Meta-Narrative

Lyotards post-modernism is a recognition thatall hitherto philosophy has been a Meta-Narrative which is not grounded in truth

These Meta-Narratives make universal claimsto the truth but for Lyotard under the claimsof the moderns and the enlightenments ofprogress and civilization and universal truthwe have managed to banish thinking foroneself

The reason no meta-narrative can work andthe reason Lyotardrefuses systematization isbecause there is no overall truth for him onlyrumourous thought. In this sense multiplicity(or heterogeneity) replaces determinability

2 Meta Narrative failures of


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2 Meta-Narrative failures ofModernity

Lyotard believes there are 2 main meta-narrativefailures in modernity

1. The Philosophic Meta-Narrative:The unity and

autonomy of the subject (Kant, Descartes,Hegel)

2. The Political Meta-Narrative: Mankind as hero of agrand story

3.


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The Differend

A Conflict that cant be resolved for the lack of arule of judgment applicable to both parties

The differend results in the Wrong

It occurs when the plaintiff is divested of the

means to argue and thus becomes the victim It is the instant of language wherein something

which must be able to be put into phrasescannot be

It is our duty to bear witness to the differend

In order to bear witness you have to distinguishboth sides

The differend is a call from Lyotard for people topay attention to the effects of language


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Differend

Lyotard uses the example of holocaust denial as anexample of the differend

Holocaust deniers say there is no scientific proof of theholocaust and there isnt but this doesnt mean itnever happened.

It is in this case that the plaintiff those who believe inthe holocaust is divested of the means to arguebecause they dont have scientific ground

The denier may be divested of the means to argue aswell because people will simply try them as racists

rather than attempt to validify their views This leaves us with the differend.

It can only be reconciled if we bear witness to thedifferend and get past the role that language plays


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Post-Modern Aesthetics

Lyotard wrote many works on art He uses Barnett Newman as example to

emphasize the post-modern shift from themodern concept of the beauty of form to

disharmony or what he calledHeterogonous space Disharmony yields the contrast between

pleasure and pain This concept of disharmony originates in

Kants concept of the sublime as well asthe romantics conception of it

Post-Modern art can be seen as an attemptto visually capture inexpressible sensation

Post-Modern Aesthetics


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Post Modern Aesthetics


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Post-Modernism and You

There has been a deconstruction ofprevious philosophical concepts

Lyotard describes Post-Modernism as

proceeding without a goal

How does it feel?


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How does it feel?To b e o n yo u r o w n w ith

Post-Modernism and Culture


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Post-Modernism and Culture Although its influence may have been indirect

the Hippie/Psychedelic culture of the 60s

seems to be a reaction to the chaos andconfusion of the post-modern condition

Play Clip

So where does that leave


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So where does that leaveus?

In my opinion


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D d B h I F l J Lik A Child

Documents

Postmodernism is Modern