Post Modernism: A Product of Imperialist Degeneration
David
Steve Hayes
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If you say so.
--
Steve Hayes
E-mail: haye...@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/books.htm
David O'Bedlam
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[...]
> If you say so.
That didn't work out so well, I agree. I'll try harder.
D.
--
"Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C) 2004 by 'TheDavid^TM' | David, P.O. Box 21403, Louisville, KY 40221
David O'Bedlam
(Second try. Dedicated to Steve Hayes.)
* Stolen from <http://www.cpimlredflag.org>
*Polemics*
/*Red Star*/, May 1997
*Post Modernism: A Product of Imperialist Degeneration*
*Post* modernism has become the most hotly debated issue in the art and
literary front, though the definition and understanding of it remain
controversial. As the title implies, it makes a fundamental departure
from all pre-existing literary movements including modernism as is
exemplified in the specificities in its appearance. In fact modernism
appeared and established itself with the voice of pretest comprising a
sense of negation and rebellion. On the contrary, post modernism sees
itself in every thing and everywhere converting even those who oppose it
as post modernists. Of course, in a period characterised itself as
‘information age’, such non-sensical illusions are justifiable indeed!
Along with every literary movement, philosophical schools and
socio-political undercurrents directily relating to or indirectly
influencing it have always been there. Perhaps, more than anything else
post modernism maintains itself as a philosophical and political stream.
However, here each and everybody often interprets post modernism in
his/her own ways having no resemblance with European concepts of
modernism and postmodernism. Contrary to the general impression that is
being propagated, post modernism is not avant-garde in art and
literature but an all-embracing stream of thought including
philosophical, social, political, historical, economic and cultural
spheres as it evolved in the west. Even when postmodernism emphasises in
culture, in the post modern perspective it has a quite different
economic and social implication. Besides in western post modernist
discussions, modernity is a chronological concept linked itself with
democratic revolutions, industrial revolution and enlightenment
philosophy. Moreover, it is the negation of this enlightenment
philosophy that constitutes the most striking common characterestic of
post modernism, though there are exceptions.
*
Negation of enlightenment thoughts
*
Enlightenment was a socio political stream that strived to remould the
ethical concepts and pattern of life of old European society in the
light of virtue, justice and scientific knowledge. Fighting against the
church and religious obscurantism, it played a significant role in
formulating the social consciousness of eighteenth century. In the
enlightenment tradition there is a long list of architects of modern age
namely Roussae, Voltaire, Montesquier, Schiller, Goethe and so on. The
roots of post modernism lay deep in the negation of this stream of
thought that stressed the ultimate goodness of human beings and
humaritarian progress and modern industrial democratic society which is
part of it. On the other hand post modernism visualises Marxism also as
an inalienable part of enlightenment itself. If enlightenment thought
generally saw socio-political evils and the paths of virtue and justice
needed to overcome them as based in consciousness and human being’s own
limitation in identifying his/her nature, Marxism stressed the basis of
socio-political vices and virtues in society’s economic production
precess. Post modernism denies both enlightenment humanism as well as
the stream of thought centred around the production process as
represented by the classical economists like Adam Smith and Ricardo, and
Marx. Along with this, it openly repudiates any concept of society in
toto and any sort of humanism and instead stresses in those marginal
issues which it considers as so far neglected such as gender, race,
caste, youth, ecology, parochialism etc. It localises all concepts of
resistance and propagates emancipation from all sorts of emancipatory
philosophies. This is implied in the negation of all grand narratives,
historicism etc. and in the so called new formulations such as end of
ideologies, and of history etc. etc.
Post modernism begins with the premise of the failure of grand projects
and dreams regarding democracy and socialism in continuation of its
negation of enlightenment philosophy and Marxism. At one level it
delinks power itself from the state. Issues such as power, oppression,
fascism etc. are not state centred but being established through
numerous marginal discourses, it argues.
*
Capitalism, the last word
*
The focal issue in the discussions on post-modernism is to be centred
around the questions such as : Has human progress not occured ? Whether
the limit of human progress has reached ? Is the move forward impossible
? It is at this juncture that Francis Fukuyama, former official of US
state department who was specialising on middle east and earstwhile
Soviet matters joins hands with post modernism, traversing another
track. Drawing inspiration from Hegelian meta narrative thoughts he
declares the end of grand narratives - that is his /end of history/.
*
Fragmentation of thought
*
Mainly there are two schools of thought in post modernism. One is the
French school generally called post-structuralism. Second is the
American school that evolved through the so called cultural studies now
identified itself with the philosophical trend of new pragmatism of
Rorti Both. These schools are characterised as anti-essentialist and
anti-foundationalist. The French school led by Derrida in the name of
de-mystification makes his philosophy a variant of linguistic mysticism.
In fact Derrida tries to sell the old wine of bourgeois empiricism in
new bottles.On the one hand it negates the specificities and differences
among life, external world, literary constructs, science etc. which are
different cognitive forms and makes all human constructs as texts; and
on the other deconstructs the structures and elements within it there by
dismembering their inter-relations. For the fragmentisation of life and
thought, Derrida uses his magical weapon of "the other" as a
metaphysical category. Derrida’s deconstruction through its
anti-essentialism and anti-foundationalism shares common platform with
the new pragmatism of degenerated American bourgeoisie who is reluctunt
ot see anything beyond day to day interests. By negating the
universality of inter-relations these schools of philosophies in effect
turn out to be the philosophy of the denial of philosophy.
/*
(Paper presented for initiating discussion on post-modernism in the
three day camp of cultural activists, writers and intellectuals at
Kannur in March 1997)
*/
Aidan Tynan
Fragmentisation? Cool ...
>of life and thought, Derrida uses his magical weapon of "the other" as a
metaphysical category. Derrida's deconstruction through its
anti-essentialism and anti->foundationalism shares common platform with the
new pragmatism of degenerated American bourgeoisie who is reluctunt ot see
anything beyond day to day interests.
Deconstruction = dekonstruction of metaphysics (Heidegger).
>By negating the universality of inter-relations these schools of
philosophies in effect turn out to be the philosophy of the denial of
philosophy.
The denial of philosophy happened long ago with Marx, Nietzsche and then
Adorno (negative dialectics). Postmodernism is way past that stage.
Your use of the bourgeoisie would be problematic for postmodernists, who
inter alia deny that the bourgeoisie exist any longer as a political force.
Bourgeois morality is no longer the starting point for a reactionary or
emancipatory art or politics as it was for the 19th/20th century modernists.
You're confusing what modernism was reacting against with what postmodernism
accepts as already negated. For me, postmodernism is the expression, study
or manifestation of the popular in a late capitalist global culture whose
dominant cultural ideology is modernist. Postmodernism is what happens not
when modernity is over but when it has been achieved. As a result, the
postmodern is always "in" the modern as a dormant propensity.
-Aidan