Postmodernism

When Metaphysics Epistemology (how you know what you know) Human Nature Modernism 1500-1900s Post-Modernism Second half of 20th Anti-realist there is no true account of reality. Radical Skepticism we create our own narratives that are all relative, no absolute truth. Group-Determinism: humans are defined by culture and social rules, we are not individuals. These groups give identity and beliefs. Neo-existentalism: Conflict, oppression, corruption. The human condition is flawed. - We should have compassion to those groups who have been oppressed. Neo-Marxism: Egalitarianism and socialism as ideals to strive for. - Attacks capitalism, says that it simply creates oppression. Saddam Hussein example as being controlled by the Western system.

Ethics

Politics

Capitalist system: free market system (wealth of nations) can lead to a more productive and wealthier future.

Quotations: Foucalt: It is meaningless to speak in the name of or against reason, truth, or knowledge Attacks reason and truth radical skepticism shows that this is pointless.

Deconstructionism: relieves of the obligation to be right and demands that I only be interesting No such thing as right and wrong, were just looking at narratives or stories that are made up. We simply find them interesting. PM = what is interesting, not what is right.

Foucalt: Prison is microcosm of society prison guards (strong) vs. weak people (prisoners) is like society. We give a nice story of justice to prison guards being able to make the prisoners suffer and hold power, just as whites, westerners, etc. do to other cultures. Frank Lericchia: PM seeks to exercise power for the purpose of social change, so professors are there to spot, confront, and work against the political horrors of ones time. Be critical of the current horrible system, power struggles. Cultivate identification and compassion and overcome those horrible institutions.

Marxism
1848: Marx/Engels published the Communist Manifesto. Mount a revolution against the current capitalist system. There is a small amount of rich bourgeoisie, force others down to the middle class. The middle class is unstable - some small number go up to the upper class, others go down to the poor class. The poor class increases in number and is supposed to gain some consciousness to overthrow the bourgeoisie.

However, throughout the 1800s to 1900s, the predictions arent actually working out this way. There isnt any revolution in the works. Part 2: 1900-1950s 1) Actually, there are fewer people in poverty in the 1900s. 2) The middle class increases and also has a higher standard of living. 3) Upper class also increases. All three of Marxist predictions seem to suck. Why is Capitalism not following Marxist lines? 1956: Soviet Union actually proclaimed that it had exterminated its own people this is bad, since the Marxist cause is supposed to bring goodness to its own people and equality in this case, what the Soviet Union said actually validates what Western propaganda had been saying the whole time. Visual evidence through TV. Socialism is not really more humane than capitalism in practice used military force to suppress student revolutions.

Why is socialism not working out the Marxist model predicted? In practice, Marxist nations dont seem to be working out so well economic deprivation, brutal suppressions. Clip 3: Foucalt, Derrida, Rorty, Lyotard are the leaders in PM movement in the 1960s and onward.

Skeptical Relativism Rhetoric I

1) There are no metanarratives nothing can explain everything. a. Adopt a skeptical attitude. 2) Marxist failed as a metanarrative or a belief system. a. Marxist was right about zero-sum conflict and group analysis of conflict. b. Marxist failed because it focused everything 1-D only based on economics. i. Instead, we need to focus on splinter groups and not just through the economic lens ii. Base some of our analysis on economics, but also on gender, racial, ethnic, sexuality, and environmental dimensions of conflict. 3) We need to abandon the ideal of socialism and instead focus on critique of modern society in ALL dimensions mentioned above. a. Modern society has privileged the male Anglo-Saxon, Christian, whites, heterosexuality, humans and placed everyone else below (females, non-white, homosexuality, other species). b. Need to identify with the lower group and be critical of the privileged group and the stories they may make. c. Critique the negative parts of this society. Summary: Modernism Objective truth is possible, possible to acquire them through reason. Everyone has a rational capacity, so we can come to a set of universal truths about the way the world works. Individualism we have our own freedom, so we should focus on liberty, justice, and equality (no more castes) Capitalism as an economic system freedom to control own property. Post-modernism Subjective truth, Relative claims

Group/collectivism based on ones culture. World is based on uneven power distribution, conflict between strong and weak causing inequality. Spirit of socialism socialism functions as a regulative ideal set of principles that regulates

Progress as an ideal, optimism toward the future.

our thinking. Cynicism - modern world prides itself on several nice principles, but they are just rhetorical moves to advance some groups over others. We should be skeptical of these good news stories and uncover the darker story of power struggles.