WEIRD STUFF ON BLOGGER
I've been having trouble posting to Blogger -- software errors.

POSTMODERNISM
There has been a bit of a discussion on covnet regarding the definition of postmodernism. So I've taken a stab at it -- although it's received absolutely no response.

When talking about postmodernism it is important to distinguish between the philosophy and the popular culture movement.

As a philosophy postmodernism has its origins in the likes of thinkers like Nietzsche, Foucault, and Derrida. Postmodernism says that there is no single meaning -- only numerous perceptions ("stories"). Therefore we're wasting our time trying to peg things down too tightly. Instead we should embrace diversity and revel in paradox.

On the other hand, modernism as a movement essentially says that there is an objective meaning in the universe. We may argue over the nature of that meaning but we are optimists in finding and building on that meaning.

While modernist is busy trying to solve the puzzle -- the postmodernist is asking, "Why? There is no single definitive answer to the puzzle of life so why not just enjoy the puzzle itself?" -- "Nihilism with a smile."

On a philosophical level postmodernism (like modernism before it) is incompatible with Christianity.

However, postmodernism is also a popular cultural movement. The idea being that those in their 20's and early 30's are the first generation of Americans to live in a culture where postmodern values are stronger than modern values. (Of course, no one is really a pure modernist or postmodernist -- we're just talking tendencies.)

As a popular cultural movement pomos are inclined to enjoy paradoxes and mysteries. They like to talk about beauty before function (beauty is a lot more subjective). They are skeptical of systematic approaches to thinking and despise anything that appears to be a smug answer. Thus they aren't purely conservative or purely liberal. They pick and choose more so than any pervious generation -- and believe that choice is some kind of inherent right (the ultimate in cosmic consumerism). Community is a high value (although it's also a source of frustration because they are unable to live up to the ideals they have created). Spirituality is important -- as long as there's nothing like dogma attached to it. Pomos are not as ahistorical as moderns and Christian pomos gladly embrace some of the historical symbols and forms that the boomer generation jettisoned as not functional enough.