Post Postmodernism

8/13/2019 Post Postmodernism

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POST-POSTMODERNISM-:IN R NILSARKAR:-

Post-postmodernism is the school of thought beyond that ofPostmodernism. Post-postmodernismis a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture,

arts, literature, and culture which are emerging from and reacting to

postmodernism. Post-postmodernism demands tempering of reasonwith faith.(Tom Turner)Meaning:-

Post-postmodernism is something more authentic, moresincere, more earnest, less ironic, less sarcastic than Postmodernism. To

David Shield, it is a deliberate unartiness: raw material, seemingly

unprocessed, unfiltered, uncensored, unprofessional . . . Randomness,

openness to accident and serendipity, spontaneity; artistic risk,

emotional urgency and intensity, reader/viewer participation; an overly

literal tone, as if a reporter were viewing a strange culture; plasticity of

form, pointillism; criticism as autobiography; self-reflexivity, self-

ethnography, anthropological autobiography; a burring (to the point of

invisibility) of any distinction between fiction and nonfiction: the lure

and blur of the real.

It was Fredric Jameson who for the first time proclaimed the birth of

Post-postmodernism in his famous essay "the cultural logic of late

capitalism" in 1984 which got authentification on 24th of Sept.2011


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with the beginning of an exhibition titled PostmodernismStyle and

Subversion 1970-1990 at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

He, however, used the term in connection with his study of AmericanCapitalism. If fragmentation was the defining characteristics of

Modernism, then intensification and unification are the special

features of Post-postmodernism.

In contemporary world every cultural activity has an economic facet.

Break-up of Russia (defeat of Marxism) has given American Capitalism

to tread on each and every human activity unrivalled and as such theage-old Greco-Roman idea of Culture has got a U-Turn. Post-

postmodernism has emerged for diagnosing and responding to this

changed situation of contemporary life.

Another aspect of the matter is faith. Postmodernism taught how to

dig out our cultural heritages and create new historicism. Post-

postmodernism shows that No art-work has any real (merit) value if itlacks respectful faith and trust in it. The world is bound together by

faith, trust, dialogue, performance and sincerity. Mere digging out the

cultural heritage or creating new historicism is not all; the findings

deserve respect and are expected to be practiced with utmost faith and

trust. This is, as a matter of fact the summary of what Tom Turner

advocated in 1995.Turner advocated that in art works, the artist/authoris to temper reason with faith. [viz. Scientists showing reverence to

divine power while propelling a space-shuttle.] Though his idea was

specially on urban planning, the arts are its real parameters. Turner

held this new-idea as Post-postmodernism.


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Postmodernism is dead :The present world is concerned with three ideas (concepts) of

ancient origin. These arethe idea of specificity, the idea of values and

the idea of authenticity. These are at odds with postmodernism. The

death of Postmodernism occurred on 24th September, 2011. We can

officially and definitively declare that postmodernism died on that date.

Finished. But, how can we justify it?

On 24th of September, 2011 the Victoria and Albert Museum openedthe first comprehensive retrospective in the world titled:

PostmodernismStyle and Subversion 1970-1990.And, with this the

proclamation of the death of Postmodernism was completed. From

that incident onward Market, Communization, and advertisement

have become the determining factor of any artwork. These are totally

new developments contrary to the fundamentals of postmodernism.

To day the greatness of an art-work is determined not only by its

aesthetic beauty or uniqueness but also by its market value. A books

greatness is acclaimed not by its literary quality or thoughts inherent in

it but by its market price. Books are not concerned as the life blood of a

thinker any more. Recently auctioned, the first ever printed Book in

America in Rs.I.88 crore is a pointer to this. The book has got the status

of worlds costliest book, though critics do not find anything specialexcept its antique quality.

[The first book printed in the US in 1640, has received the status of the

world's most valuable book. The "Bay psalm book" sold for nearly $14.2


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million at an auction in New York on November 26, 2013.It is the

translation of Biblical psalms. "The Bay Psalm Book" was printed by

Puritan settlers in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640.]

And, this is what might be called Post-postmodernism.What

had happened in the case of the said book has been happening in

almost all cases. But the question is who are doing this? The simple

answer is the moneyed people. So, it may be assumed that the

evaluation standard has been shifted from the hands of the real Judges

to the hands of the Moneyed section or Post-postmodernism is the

assertion of supremacy of Market economy over the Arts.

Post-postmodernism got a late germination:-But, this post postmodernist idea is, in truth, a product of a

late germinated seed. It grew up simultaneously with the Modernism.

Modern; Postmodern; Post-postmodern:Modernism has its origins in the enlightenment 'rationalism',

absolute structure and finding 'the truth'. Post-Modernism is a critique

to modernism. In this structure, there are no laws maintained to define

hierarchical culture. Post-modernism asserts that there are no

hierarchies and that all points of view are equally valid. Postmodernism

is against almost all the tenets of modernism. For example, modernism

believes in rational thought while postmodernists believe everything

irrational. Modernism places a strong emphasis on science, whereas

postmodernists are anti-scientific. Modernists believe that there are


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universal values and tend to be somewhat optimistic whereas

postmodernists believe that only local values have importance.

Modernists favour organization; postmodernists believe life chaotic and

fragmented. Modernists reflect the values of European or Western

thought whereas postmodernists believe in multiculturalism, and

Glocalization. Modernists are objective; postmodernists are subjective.

Modernists believe that life is purposeful; Postmodernists believe that

life is meaningless or that meaning is purely subjective and relative.

Modernists believe one can define morality whereas postmodernists

believe morality to be relative. Modernists are analytical whereaspostmodernists are rhetorical. Modern art is characterized by

simplicity, elegance and streamlined design but postmodern art is

decorative and elaborate. Modernist philosophy is determined by cause

and effect but postmodernists believe in chance. Modernists are linear

thinkers; postmodernists are circular thinkers or haphazard thinkers.

Modernists believe in permanence; postmodernists believe intransience. Modernists believe that truth is objective; postmodernists

believe that truth is relative and socially constructed. Modernists are

not very political whereas postmodernists politicize everything.

In short, Postmodernism is a rejection of Modernism.

Semantically thinking also, the very term postmodern is vague. Modern

means something which is existing at present but postmodern meanssomething which exists in future. Thus, if I say I am postmodern it will

mean I am dead (Which sounds fantastic).


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Post-postmodernism rejects the "flat"- everything is equal point of

view of post-modernism but not super structured rationalism like

Modernism. It may be called Polyarchy. Polyarchy is a term that was

used first when Drummond and Kimwere talking on the matter. Thepost-postmodern takes the "always already"mixed condition of sources,identities, and new works as a given condition, not a question or a

problem.

Alternative terms for Post-postmodernism:-

Besides Post-postmodernism, the critics are thinking of manyother terms to define the Post-postmodern situation.

Trans-modernism:The Russian-American Slavist Mikhiail Epstein notices that the

last third of the 20th century developed under the sign of "post," which

signalled the demise of such concepts of modernity as "truth" and"objectivity," "soul" and "subjectivity," "utopia" and "ideality," "primary

origin" and "originality," "sincerity" and "sentimentality." All of these

concepts are now being reborn in the form of "trans-subjectivity,"

"trans-idealism,""trans-utopianism," "trans-originality," "trans-lyricism,"

"trans-sentimentality" etc. So he asks us to encompass all these new

developments under the term Trans-modernism.

Post-millennialism:The term post-millennialism was introduced in 2000 by the

American cultural theorist Eric Gans.


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Pseudo-modernism:In 2006 the British scholar Alan Kirby formulated a socio-

cultural assessment of post-postmodernism that he called pseudo-modernism.

Metamodernism:In 2010 the cultural theorists Timotheus Vermeulen and

Robin van den Akker introduced the term Metamodernism.

Metamodernism propagates the 'informed naivety', 'pragmatic idealism'

and 'moderate fanaticism' of the various cultural responses to climate

change, the financial crisis, and even (geo) political instability along

with other factors.

However, Post-postmodernism has been getting its stronghold over

other similar terms in contemporary Literature.

Digi-modernism:The present age is out and out a Digital world. Mobile

phones, TV and other audio-Visual devices, Internet have created a

new sect. of Intellectuals. Although the digital activities are the

innovations of the west, there is practically no human race that is not

affected by its all pervasive impacts. At present almost all human

activities like food, lifestyle, dress, education, entertainment, medicine

and treatment, engineering and architecture, art and painting and even

music are encapsulated within digital Medias. It has earlier played a

decisive role in enhancing Globalizationand presently shaping a new


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cultural outlook. The newly emerged groups of thinkers are not

concerned about the day to day mundane activities of life. They are

concerned about the threats that are looming large to the whole of the

humanity and even the galaxy. Their thoughts are centered on global

issues where almost all the lives are concerned. As such, a section of

thinkers like to call it an age of Digi-modernism.

Age of Aestheticism:Edward Docx anticipated the death of Postmodernism

and the beginning of a new-one with at least three Postmodern

Paradoxes in an exhibition that began at the Victoria and Albert

Museum titled PostmodernismStyle and Subversion 1970-1990,on

the 24th of September,2011. It was also advertised as the first

comprehensive retrospective in the world.Edward Docx found three

main ideas of contemporary marketed social structure---of

specificity, of values and of authenticity, were at odds withpostmodernism. He felt the situation as the entry to a new age and liked

to call it The Age of Aestheticism.

Examples of post-postmodernism:No one can ever say that "ghosts don't exist" or Ghosts exist

because neither of the statement has been proved. Even in the sixtiespeople talked about whether or not man would ever visit the moon. But

it became possible. Nothing is impossible, and nothing is certain either.

Similarly, if I say Mars is habitable. It will have to be accepted as

correct. Because, nobody can prove the opposite.


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Conclusion:-Though Post-postmodern is viewed as an economic

phenomenon of capitalism, it has made its presence felt in almost allhuman activities including arts and crafts. It is seldom late but always

just in time. So, echoing Fredric Jameson we can say Post-

postmodernism requires an updated conceptual vocabulary for

diagnosing and responding to our changed situation.

References & Links:-i.www.urban dictionary.com

ii.www.http://biblioklept.org

iii.www.http://www.identitywoman.net

iv.www.wikipedia.org

v.www.creativecommonse.org

NB. Creative Commons attributes were respected while preparing the paper-i.s

****i.s
http://www.http/biblioklept.orghttp://www.http/www.identitywoman.nethttp://www.http/www.identitywoman.nethttp://www.http/biblioklept.org

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