Postmodernism: A Comparision Chart

Postmodern is used to define a period of time that most historians and authors would recognize. However, postmodernism describes a distinct worldview and/or philosophical system. Gene Veith describes it in this manner, “If the modern era is over, we are all postmodern, even though we reject the tenets of postmodernism.” Postmodernism categorically denies universal truth. Jean-Francois Lyotard, one of the most influential postmodern writers, describes it as an incredulity towards metanarratives. A metanarrative is any large story that large groups of people, even entire societies embrace as truth. Patricia Waugh defines metanarratives as, Large-scale theoretical interpretations purportedly of universal application. The faith story of the death and Resurrection of Christ is considered a metanarrative. Another example would be the concept of liberty and justice for all and the story of the founding of America. Truth found in metanarratives is not true, according to the postmodernist, for all of society. This is not only an attack on truth, but on coherence of facts that have been considered to be true until the Postmodern age.

Jacques Derrida is one postmodern thinker who actively challenged the concept of objective meaning within society or should I say societies. These postmodernists would not argue that these metanarratives have no meaning, but that the meaning relies upon the perspective and understanding of the individual. When combining truth and knowledge in this postmodern matrix, the postmodernist will assert that reality is practically unknowable. The only thing that truly can be known is our individual experience and our individual interpretation of that experience. So it is self contradictory concept in itself which has its root in existential philosophy.

Here is the summarized comparison chart of pre-modernism, modernism and postmodernism. 

	Pre-modernism	Modernism	Postmodernism
Metaphysics	Realism: Supernaturalism	Realism: Naturalism/ Optimism	Anti-realism/ Pessimism
Epistemology	Mysticism and/or faith	Objectivism: Experience and Reason	Social subjectivism
Human     Nature	Original Sin; Subject to God’s will	Tabula rasa and Autonomy	Social construction and conflict
Ethics	Collectivism Altruism	Individualism	Collectivism: egalitarianism
Politics &   Economics	Feudalism	Liberal Capitalism	Socialism
When and   Where	Medieval	The Enlightenment; 20thcentury sciences, business, and technical fields	Late twentieth century humanities and related professions
Guide	Priest	Scientist	Rock-star
Truth	Revealed Truth	Truth Discovered	Truth Experienced
Belief	God	Mind	Culture
Dependency	Faith	Reason	Feeling

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