Postmodernism – key ideas

‘What is meant by ‘postmodern’? Even to ask the question is to beg it, for the meanings
given to the postmodern are plural and diverse, and some would define the enterprise as
beyond definition.’ (Beilharz)

Correspondingly, postmodernism is very hard to define. It is typically described as a ‘broad,

influential movement encompassing philosophy, literature, visual arts, music, and history’.
Or as resembling ‘a loosely constituted and quarrelsome political party’ (Butler). It is deeply
irrationalist and relativist in character.
Wikipedia gives the following brief account:

“While encompassing a wide variety of approaches and disciplines, postmodernism is

generally defined by an attitude of scepticism, irony, or rejection of the grand narratives and
ideologies of modernism, often calling into question various assumptions of Enlightenment
rationality. Consequently, common targets of postmodern critique include universalist
notions of objective reality, morality, truth, human nature, reason, science, language, and
social progress. Postmodern thinkers frequently call attention to the contingent or socially-
conditioned nature of knowledge claims and value systems, situating them as products of
particular political, historical, or cultural discourses and hierarchies. Accordingly,
postmodern thought is broadly characterized by tendencies to self-referentiality,
epistemological and moral relativism, pluralism, and irreverence.”

Modernist paradigm
Distinctive features:
Subject-object split – knower as spectator, separate from what is being observed – termed
strategy of distanciation
Radical doubt – Descartes’ cogito ergo sum – process of knowing is initiated by doubting all
things – which frees the mind of preconceived notions
Both epistemological moves embedded in Western culture! Also embraced by liberal and
conservative theology.
Emphases of modernism: objectivity, unifying theories, universal laws, distrust of the
supernatural, respect for science and critical history
But – broke down by mid-c20th? Lack of consensus on nature of universal truth, far-
reaching philosophical criticisms of Descartes’ cogito
Postmodernist paradigm
Philosophical influences: Nietzsche (death of God), Kierkegaard (importance of particular vs.
universal), Heidegger, later Wittgenstein (philosophy of language)
Postmodernists typically speak of ‘crises’ constituting a so-called ‘postmodern condition’:
the crisis of representation, the end of metaphysics, the end of history, the end of the
subject, the end of humanism, the end of liberalism (Ward).
Central ideas:

1) Deconstruction: language provides the framework for thought and is prior to knowledge;
one cannot think without vocabulary, syntax, grammar. But language is the product of
culture, therefore truth is local, not universal, and relativised to particular cultures. No
single universal truth or ‘metanarrative’ exists; rather, specific languages and cultures serve
as lenses though which reality is perceived and understood. ‘There is nothing outside the
text’ (Derrida, 1967).
Derrida is here countering a view of language (typical e.g. of Rousseau) that tends to think
of language is an obstacle to the world, that language gets in the way of just experiencing
the world itself. Texts and language are not something that we get through to a world
without language or a state of nature where interpretation is not necessary. Rather,
interpretation is an inescapable part of being human and experiencing the world. One might
say, ‘there is no experience without interpretation’.
Moreover, language is riddled with ambiguities, so that every text has a plurality of
meanings. There is an ethical aspect to this. ‘Our language never quite coincides with what
is talked about’ (Macquarrie). The way is hence open for alternative interpretations, and a
space is opened to call into question the received and dominant interpretations that often
claim to be ‘objective fact’ or ‘common sense’, and to propose interpretations that have
been marginalised. It can thereby activate voices which hitherto have been silenced.
2) Genealogy: (Foucault in particular, influenced by Nietzsche): ‘a historical technique in which
one questions the commonly understood emergence of various philosophical and social beliefs by
attempting to account for the scope, breadth or totality of discourse, thus extending the possibility
of analysis’ (Wikipedia). Genealogy deconstructs truth, arguing that truth is often discovered by
chance, backed up by the operation of power/knowledge or the consideration of interest. It
therefore tends to undermine the claims of the human sciences as senseless power games!

Thus, postmodernism does not aim to achieve knowledge of reality as such; it is avowedly
anti-realist and tends towards relativism. Does deconstruction replace rational thinking?
Distinctive features / tenets: - can be stated in terms of a series of contrasts:

Rejection of meta-narratives / overarching ideologies, including Marxism, Hegelianism,

scientism, Freudianism. ‘I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives’
(Lyotard).
Fragmentation vs. unifying scientific paradigms / theories
Importance of the particular as against the universal – following Kierkegaard
Wordplay / deliberate obscurity versus clarity / irreverence. Sometimes difficult to
distinguish ‘real’ from ‘spoof’ postmodernist writing! Tends in consequence to be self-
undermining.
Rejection of authority and tradition
Anti-capitalist and broadly left-wing

Pluralism as opposed to uniformity / positive attitude top diversity. Pluralism is a modern

idea, however, not a postmodern one!
Others versus self – allows some postmodernist philosophers to introduce a notion of God
as ‘the wholly other’.
Relative and absolute – no absolute foundations or criteria for our beliefs or moral
judgements
Passion versus intellect – protesting against rationalism. Basis of human knowledge is
broader than the intellect alone. Cf. Pascal, ‘the heart has reasons of which the mind knows
nothing’.
Truth and opinion – according to some postmodernists, ‘no opinion can be privileged above
any other’. However, this view has been criticised philosophically as presupposing concepts
that it seeks to undermine: ‘one cannot employ reason to reject reason’ (Habermas). The
act of utterance in itself implies an assertion of truth – and the use of language implies a
level of mutual trust between speaker and listener (Macquarrie). Other postmodernists hold
a notion of truth that is closer to revelation than to empirical truth (Macquarrie).
The influence of postmodernism has been pervasive. We can identify links, e.g. with
anarchism and populism as political movements, intellectual fashions such as science
studies, social representations theory, etc.
How far has postmodernism influenced or impacted upon Christianity in Britain?
The Sea of Faith Network, which was founded following Don Cupitt’s book and TV series The
Sea of Faith in 1984, the major exponent of ‘liberal’ postmodernist philosophy of religion /
theology in Britain. The name Sea of Faith was taken from Matthew Arnold's nostalgic mid-
19th century poem "Dover Beach", in which the poet expresses regret that belief in a
supernatural world is slowly slipping away; the "sea of faith" is withdrawing like the ebbing
tide.
Don Cupitt (still alive) is probably now the most famous British postmodernist philosopher
of religion. He began his career as an Anglican priest, but ceased to function as such in
1990s, then ceased to be a communicant member of the church altogether in 2008.

SoFN, according to its website, “explores the implications of accepting religion as a human
creation; promotes the validity of creative, human-centred religion; affirms the continuing
importance of religious thought and practice as expressions of awe and wonder and
celebrations of spiritual and social values."

It is thus closely associated with a non-realist approach to religion, i.e. to the belief that God
has no "real", objective, or empirical existence, independent of human language and
culture; God is "real" in the sense that he is a potent symbol, metaphor or projection, but he
has no objective existence outside and beyond the practice of religion. Non-realism
therefore entails a rejection of all supernaturalism, including concepts such as miracles, the
afterlife, and the agency of spirits. Theologians working within this approach treat
postmodernism as a dominant explanatory narrative within which it needs to adjust and
defend its thesis.

Not very satisfactory, really!

There is a contrasting conservative postmodernist approach to theology, in which the

theological character of postmodernism itself is elucidated. Work of other British and
continental postmodernist theologians within the ‘radical orthodoxy’ movement (John
Milbank, Catherine Pickstock, Graham Ward, Jean-Luc Marion, Michel de Certeau) do not
share such views. However, their work is not widely known, or even particularly accessible,
although Rowan Williams’ work has been cited in connection with it.

Wikipedia describes radical orthodoxy as follows:

“Although radical orthodoxy is informally organised, its proponents often agree on a handful
of propositions. First, there is no sharp distinction between reason on the one hand and
faith or revelation on the other. In addition, the world is best understood through
interactions with God, even though a full understanding of God is never possible. Those
interactions include culture, language, history, technology, and theology. Further, God
directs people toward truth, which is never fully available to them. In fact, a full
appreciation of the physical world is only possible through a belief in transcendence. Finally,
salvation is found through interactions with God and others.”

Much more worthy of exploration for us, I think!

Catherine Ebenezer
February 2020
References

Appignanesi, R., & Garratt, C. (1999). Introducing postmodernism (New ed.). Trumpington:
Icon.
Butler, C. (2002). Postmodernism: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Macquarrie, J. (2001). Postmodernism in philosophy of religion and theology. International
Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 50(1–3), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-
0516-6_2
Ward, G. (2005). Postmodern theology. In D. F. Ford & R. Muers (Eds.), The modern
theologians: an introduction to Christian theology since 1918 (pp. 322–338). Oxford.

Catherine Ebenezer