Introduce and critique Post-Modernism - Essay Example

Postmodernism: Introduction and Critique ID Number Total Number of Words 501 Introduction The concept of postmodernism is very broad in terms of its context. Often times, the concept of postmodernism can been applied throughout the interpretation of a wide-range of subjects that are highly related to architecture, art, culture, dance, economics, film, literature, music, painting, philosophy, photography, and religion among others (Smith, 2009, pp. 7 – 8; Ruccio and Amariglio, 2003, p. 29; Hutcheon, 2002, p. 1; Grenz, 1996, p. 12). Therefore, there is a strong possibility wherein a lot of people are in the midst of asking the question what “postmodernism” is really all about. To address this matter, this study will purposely review what several authors have explained their personal views with regards to the real meaning of postmodernism. After clearly discussing what postmodernism is all about, past and current critiques made with regards to the theory of postmodernism will be tackled in details. Introduction to the Postmodernism Up to the present time, there is really no clear definition as to what postmodernism is all about (Sim, 2001, p. 45). As explained by Malpas (2005, p. 4), creating a single definition that could describe what postmodernism is all about could only increase the risk wherein people could “miss the complexities of the postmodernism”. What is clear about the postmodernism is that the postmodernists totally removed the idea of “enlightenment” (Grenz, 1996, p. 8). Furthermore, postmodernists strongly believe that knowledge is not “objective” and can no longer be considered as something good; and that people today are no longer getting better in terms of solving problems related to economics and humanity (Grenz, 1996, p. 7). It means that the postmodernists are very much focused on critiquing people’s belief about their cultural background or religious beliefs (Bertens and Fokkema, 1997, p. 167). Most of the postmodernists assume that “reality is a social construct” (Loipez and Potter, 2001, p. 28). It means that right after communicating with one another; the members of a given society can somehow come up with their own collective ideas and convince more people to believe them until such point that it becomes part of their cultural beliefs. For this reason, the postmodernists assume that there is really “no absolute truth” about anything in this world and that the truth that most people believe in is actually “relative to the community” they live in (Schmuland, 2012, p. 197; Grenz, 1996, p. 8). In other words, postmodernists simply believe that anything that people believe in this world can either be destroyed or broken down into pieces. The postmodernists are also known for their inability to accept the idea that the truth is an end-result of rational thinking nor is a creation or discovery made out of using scientific method (Grenz, 1996, pp. 7 – 12). In fact, the phenomenon behind postmodernism accepts the idea that it is possible to fracture or break down what people used to believe is real during the modernism era into something that is beyond what people during the modernism period would not even think of possible (Malpas, 2005, p. 5). For example, given that everything in this world is subject to change, one can easily notice that the songs we hear changes from the “classic rock” into a “modern rock” (Wheale, 1995, pp. 96 – 97). In the case of postmodern architects, this group of professionals is after exploring the need to build buildings using different “styles, form, and texture” (Grenz, 1996, p. 23). Based on these two examples, one can actually say that postmodernism is all about liberating oneself from what people have been accustomed with. Earlier it was mentioned that the postmodernists strongly believe that the truth is relative and that there is nothing in this world that can be considered as an absolute truth (Schmuland, 2012, p. 197; Grenz, 1996, p. 8). It means that this group of individuals suspect that the structural claims of theology is just a form of metanarrative (Murphy, 2008, p. 18). Furthermore, this group of individuals strongly suggests that it is relatively okay for people to believe or not to believe the word of God (Schmuland, 2012, p. 197). Therefore, it doesn’t really matter whether or not a person would choose to accept or reject the religious beliefs of the Christians, Orthodox Judaism, or Islam, etc. Critics behind the Concept of Postmodernism The Christians are known for their strong religious beliefs that God’s words or the Bible contains the “absolute truth” and that “Jesus is the only way to God” (Schmuland, 2012, pp. 197 –199). For this reason, it is pretty obvious that most religious groups such as in the case of the Christians or the Catholics are totally against the mind-set of the postmodernists. In relation to the study of theology, Balthasar criticized the postmodernists for their ability to expand the truth way beyond the creation of a “dualistic structure” [cited in Murphy, 2008, p. 19]. When we talk about having a “dualistic structure”, it means that people who are classified as postmodernists tend to accept two sets of structural thinking. For instance, Protestants is known to be different from the Catholics because the Protestants claim that worshiping idols is a clear violation of the “ten commandments” and can put them at risk of committing a sin (Hausmann, 2012, p. 92). Therefore, people with logical thinking would accept the fact that the Protestants should remain firm in rejecting the religious practices of those who are Catholics. Since the postmodernists have a strong mind-set that it is relatively okay for people to believe or not to believe the word of God (Schmuland, 2012, p. 197), the postmodernists are often criticized for their contradicting beliefs and perception in life (Waters, 2000, p. 53). Another point-of-argument here is the issue regarding the concept of “moral relativism” (Sim, 2001, p. 46). Basically, the concept of moral relativism is all about the idea that morally accepted ideas, actions, and beliefs are highly dependent on the group of society that came up with a set of values that would classify the differences between what is “right” from those that are “wrong” (Warburton, 2004, p. 62). It means that what is considered as morally right in one society can be totally different in another sector. In the case of the postmodernists, this group of individuals assumed that there is no such thing as a universally accepted moral guideline due to the fact there are really no such thing as a “moral absolute” (Binmore, 2005, p. 48). Given the fact that the postmodernists strongly suggests that there is no such thing as an absolute moral facts would mean that this group of individuals can be at risks of becoming inconsistent with their claims particularly with regards to the issue on “moral absolute” (Binmore, 2005, p. 48; Warburton, 2004, p. 62). It is important to take note that the postmodernists are moral relativists but the moral relativists may not be necessarily become a part of the postmodernists (Binmore, 2005, p. 48). One of the main problem with becoming a moral relativist is the fact that there is a strong inconsistency with their claims in the sense that this group of individuals would want people to believe that “moral relativism is itself the absolute true” and at the same time they assume that “moral judgments are relative” (Warburton, 2004, p. 62). Because of the postmodernists’ “anything goes” attitude (Bertens and Fokkema, p. 30), one can easily conclude that this group of individuals does not hold a strong position as to what should be known as the good and the evil. Conclusion Postmodernism exist right after the modern era. Basically, what makes the postmodernists unique is because of the fact that their general outlook or mind-set in life is totally different from the social and cultural beliefs of the modernists. Right from the start, the postmodernists were very much focused on trying to deconstruct the universal claims of the truth. Instead of supporting what people have already accepted to be the universal truth claims, the postmodernists have been focused on criticizing people’s assumption of what is real. For this reason, one can say that postmodernism is all about the process of deconstructing people’s old ways of thinking. The act of liberating oneself from our own artistic, cultural, religious or professional beliefs is endless. Therefore, deconstruction of the universal truth is very broad and complex. Based on the postmodernists’ point-of-view, the fact that everything in this world is subject to change would mean that there is really no absolute truth with regards to social, economic, political, and moral practices in each society. The postmodernists are known for their “anything goes” attitude. Because of their inability to make a strong stand with regards to their moral, cultural, social, and political beliefs, postmodernists are often being criticized for their inconsistency and contradicting point-of-views with regards to social, economic, political, and moral thinking. For instance, postmodernists would support the idea that it is okay to accept the practice of multiple religions where in fact each type of religion can be conflicting with one another. References Bertens, H. and Fokkema, D. (1997). International Postmodernism: Theory and Literary Practice. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins North Amernica. Bertens, H. and Fokkema, D. (1997). 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