Post Modernism is the result of discoveries and events that were made and happened during the time of modernism. (roughly 1870-1960's) These included the new idea of science, the move away from religion as a way to explain the world and the changing of the social classes. All of these and a few more ideas have led to new ways of thinking such as people going back to philosophy. with these new ideas have come questions:
What does it mean to be human?
How do humans fit into this vast cosmos?
Where to from here?
These are the questions that define our life's today and there is still no "definite" answer for them. Also post modernism has a few main ideas about society:
The quest for truth is lost.
Truth is a mythical object; there is no one truth. In the search for truth we have come across only "truths" and if we make the mistake of claiming to know the truth , we are deluded at best and dangerous at worst.
A Person's sense of identity is a composite constructed by the forces of the surrounding culture.
A person is formed by the culture in which they grow up. Their thoughts, ideas, likes and dislikes are all given to them by their culture.
The languages of our culture literally "construct" what we think of as "real" in our everyday existence.
The reality is in text all scientific discoveries are written down and this how we discover different aspects of reality, through reading or other form of language.
"Reality" is created by those who have power.
This states that whoever dominates or controls the "official" use of language in a society holds the key to social and political power.
We should neutralize the political power inherent in language by "de-constructing" it.
Language is made up of binaries. for example "Honey is better for you than white sugar". This is putting honey over white sugar and this is what the "de-constructing" refers to.
One well known example of post modernism is popular media. Media these days is split into two groups the new and the old. The new does not have to have any order or coherence as this is normal for post modernism were nothing is really right or wrong.
In conclusion post modernism is the result of new ideas and thinking and influences everyone.
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