Postmodern Times Research Articles

Subverted Crisis and Critique

The aim of this paper is to reflect on historical vicissitudes of relationship between crisis and critique. Starting point is an observational diagnosis of present socio-political conditions, which have transformed crisis from a turning point into a continuation and radicalization of the existing order. In an attempt to understand the ongoing subversion of transformative potentials of crisis, a similar process of pacification and subversion of critique in dominant theoretical paradigms will be examined. It will be argued that both socio-political and main-stream theoretical processes work toward pacification of the status quo that raises both existential and theoretical concerns. In order to support the claim that a different relationship between crisis and critique is possible, it will be referred to Reinhart Koselleck’s seminal study, Critique and crisis (1959), where it is shown how absolutist state generated its critique by Enlightenment and then Enlightenment conditioned radical changes in form of French Revolution. Relying on that example, the following questions will be raised: What kind of historical structures have been lost since times which generated Enlightenment as a critical stance? What kind of theoretical tools are we missing in post-Enlightenment post-modern times in order to conceptualize and condition radical changes? What is the role of psychological theorizing in sustaining adaptation to the existing order instead of arguing and demanding its radical change? How to reclaim transformative potentials of critique and crisis?

GEOPOLÍTICA E CONSTITUIÇÃO À LUZ DO ESTADO DEMOCRÁTICO DE DIREITO

This article is the result of research carried out in the postdoctoral stage of the Postgraduate Program in Aeronautical Sciences at the University of Aeronautics (PPGCA), whose theme was “Geopolitics, Culture and Law: Epistemological dialogues needed in times of postmodernity” Thus, it collimates to examine the scientific connections that unite geopolitics and law, disciplines that overlap in such a way that they end up guaranteeing fundamental rights for ordinary citizens, aiming to analyze the geopolitical control of law from the influence of neoliberal geopolitics on constitutionalism. of the countries of late modernity, as is the case of Brazil, thus it was possible to demonstrate the influence of real factors of world power in the legislative process of the countries of the Global South of neoliberal globalization, whose leadership is being disputed by the United States and China.

Poetry as Cultural and Cognitive base for ELT in Post Modern Scenario

ABSTRACT Poetry as a genre came from the ancient people of any language of the world when they were in their nascent state. It expressed the live voice of memory, and the culture of the people. In the era of globalization multiple theories are being explored in enhancing ELT. Recent studies have already shown the intimate relationship between language and culture. English as a foreign or second language creates a barrier in the cognitive process of L2 learners. My paper attempts to highlight how poetry can be explored as a culture and cognitive base in language teaching without effacing the creative process. In postmodern time there is fragmentation of experiences with the import of ELT theories and exotic culture. Poetry functions as a cognitive base and a dialogue with the instincts. Its essence is pluralism and brings un-fragmented experience. Hence poetry needs to be redefined and to be created as a huge magnifying glass not only as a means of learning syntax and structure, but the structure of the world, which is otherwise a common culture.

Classical Pentecostal Bible reading practices and Baconian common sense

Although early Pentecostals read the Bible in terms of common sense, it differed from fundamentalists’ use in their theological endeavours. However, by the 1940s, the vast majority of Pentecostals adopted a fundamentalist view of Scriptures. Since the 1990s, Pentecostal scholarship has revisited early Pentecostals’ use of Baconian common sense. In postmodern times, it is important to define a balanced Pentecostal hermeneutic to reconsider the use of Baconian common sense realism in Bible reading practices. A scientifically informed and Spirit-inspired inductive hermeneutic is proposed that emphasises the context of a text, leaving room for the viewpoints of other interpreters and reading in terms of contemporary encounters with God. This will enhance the exegetical process, by enabling the reader to read the Bible for its impact, value and significance.

Social Harmony or a Happy Society

In this paper, I set out to prove that once we correctly identify human nature and organize our world according to the principle of cooperation, we can arrive at a world of social harmony. We can then engage in conscious human evolution, aiming at moral and intellectual perfection. Hence, we can arrive at evolutionity, a new evolutionary epoch which would replace the current conflicting and disharmonious times of postmodernity. The current world disharmony, which can be observed especially in the field of politics and economics, is largely related to the erroneous modern Western philosophical assertions identifying the human being with an individual moved by desires and the will to power, and the phenomenon of life in an endless conflict. An additional influence is provided by the flawed postmodernist conceptions of culture and family. These errors have enormous implications with regard to how we picture the world in which we live. They hinder our evolutionary capacities. I want to show that cooperation is an integral part of human nature, and that the society organized according to the requirements of nature is a truly happy society. I support my argument by statements from Tractatus Politico-Philosophicus.

Mountains and the German Mind: Translations from Gessner to Messner, 1541–2009 ed. by Sean Ireton and Caroline Schaumann

Reviewed by: Mountains and the German Mind: Translations from Gessner to Messner, 1541–2009 ed. by Sean Ireton and Caroline Schaumann Martina Gugglberger Mountains and the German Mind: Translations from Gessner to Messner, 1541–2009. Edited by Sean Ireton and Caroline Schaumann. Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2020. Pp. vii + 361. 28 illustrations. Cloth $90.00. ISBN 978-1640140479. Mountaineering sports enjoy great popularity in Europe and the US. Besides activities on rock and ice, mountaineering is known as one of the most literary of sports. [End Page 398] Achievements and experiences in alpine areas have been printed in books and journals even before the beginning of what is called modern alpinism. These narratives reached many readers and influenced views of and discourses on not only mountains and mountain sports but also social and environmental issues in these areas. This book gathers thirteen key German nonfiction texts on mountains and mountaineering written by authors from German-speaking regions such as Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and South Tyrol in Italy. With translations and introductions by relevant scholars, these texts are now accessible to English-speaking readers. The translated texts span a period of four hundred and fifty years from early modern to postmodern times and include treatises, travel diaries, book chapters, and excerpts from longer texts. The selections offer different views of mountain landscapes and are devoted to geographical descriptions as well as philosophical and aesthetic observations and autobiographical climbing narratives. In the introduction, the two editors explain that the texts "illuminate the wide range of motivations, perspectives, and ideological contexts vis-à-vis mountains and mountaineering in Germanophone cultural history" and can "therefore safely be subsumed under the title Mountains and the German Mind" (5). Whereas the notion of a "German mind" appears clear in the four texts related to national social ideology, in the other texts the connecting thread seems to be primarily the German language. The volume begins with texts from the renowned Swiss naturalists Conrad Gessner (1516–1565) and Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672–1733). Gessner's texts, introduced by Dan Hooley, were originally written in Latin and prefigure the Romantic attraction to mountain landscapes for their beauty but also their physical and spiritual challenges. Approximately 150 years later, Scheuchzer contributed a tremendous encyclopedic volume on Swiss landscapes. Excerpts of his work, translated by Jennifer Jenkins and introduced by Christoph Weber, reveal Scheuchzer's enduring fascination with the Alps, which he considered to be proof of a divine architect. For a long time, traveling to alpine regions and writing about it was a male domain. Nevertheless, among such writers are few women are also to be found, such as Sophie von La Roche (1730–1807), who published a travel diary about her journey through Switzerland, presented here by Martina Kopf. La Roche refers to God's omnipotence and human beings as part of a greater system when describing her feelings in the face of mountains. Only a few years later, the philosopher G.W.F. Hegel (1770–1831) visited Switzerland and wrote a travel diary about his seven-day walk through the Bernese Alps. He was skeptical about a sublime view of mountains and reflects on the limitations of freedom for those who live in alpine areas. Another well-known representative of this period is Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), who attempted to climb several Andean mountains during his expedition to the Americas. Caroline Schaumann reveals unpublished diary excerpts of his endeavors on Chimborazo and Antisana in 1802. In contrast to Hegel, Humboldt is enthusiastic about the [End Page 399] surrounding nature and mountain landscapes, which he scientifically considered as microcosms of the earth. During the nineteenth century, the number of visitors to the Alps increased as motives shifted from scientific interests to recreational and adventure incentives. Hermann von Barth (1845–1876) was one of the first peak collectors and promoters of guideless climbing, eventually reaching 250 peaks in the Alps of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Salzburg. Sean Ireton translated two parts of von Barth's influential book on his mostly solo climbs. Sociologist Georg Simmel (1858–1918) represents an entirely theoretical approach, and Jens Klenner introduces Simmel's essay on journeys through the Alps as well as one on aesthetics. Simmel...

Authorizing the Other Version of Writing Back in the Arena of Modern Times: The Postmodernization of Postcolonial (Hi-) Story

The present research paper is an attempt to embark on a postmodern narrative mode of identifying, comprehending, elucidating and restructuring what was written in the past. It is for reshaping and redefining the constructed image of other by distorting the stereotypical images of Other. Thus, the research paper presents a lift of narratives to another level by giving voice to the other and by presenting their own accounts. This research paper underlines the guidelines for postmodern authors to defend against and correct the existing distortion of postcolonial subjectivities and positions in postmodern times.

De woning als massaproduct

Vanaf de jaren zestig werd de Nederlandse massawoningbouw gedomineerd door het modernisme. Woonwijken werden in korte tijd uit de grond gestampt, nadat het bestaande cultuurlandschap was uitgewist. In de woningtypologie en de architectuur werd gestreefd naar een beeld dat zo weinig mogelijk continuïteit vertoonde met historische voorbeelden: architectuur was niet meer dan de expressie van de functie door middel van materiaal en techniek. In de periode daarna werden veel nieuwbouwwijken gebouwd die eigenlijk geen nieuwbouwwijk wilden zijn, maar een Zuiderzeestadje, zoals Almere Haven, een collage van gezochte thema’s, zoals Kattenbroek in Amersfoort of een Hollandse grachtenstad, zoals Brandevoort in Helmond. Van authenticiteit kan vanzelfsprekend geen sprake zijn als zo’n identiteit naar willekeur wordt opgeplakt.
 Misschien moeten we constateren dat alleen de woonwijken die niets anders beogen te zijn dan wat ze zijn, woonwijken, authentiek zijn: de wijken uit de tijd van de modernistische hardcore. Het is dus de vraag of de term authenticiteit na die periode in dit verband enige betekenis heeft. Maar dat hoeft helemaal geen probleem te zijn, want op een ander punt hebben de modernisten in ieder geval volledig gelijk gekregen: een nieuwbouwwoning is een inwisselbaar massaproduct, ook in postmoderne tijden.

Pandemics, Power, and Conspiracy Theories

Pandemics, Power, and Conspiracy Theories

역사적 개념으로서의 노스탤지어 - ‘응답하라’에서 혁명의 소비까지

This article examines the journey of nostalgia from the origin of the word to the modern and post-modern times, draws a conceptual outline of this particular emotion, and asks the possibility of it as an object of historical analysis and inquiry. Nostalgia, which started from a medical diagnosis of longing for homeland, has come to be recognized as a natural emotion of human beings facing the past that is becoming stale in modern times, and as a creative response. Furthermore, in the 20th century, new mass media and technology brought the imaginary past into an even more open public sphere, and as a result, nostalgia was found to be a new application as a tool for activating a consumption-oriented lifestyle and as a means of political propaganda. Today, nostalgia is regarded as a sentiment that can be analyzed historically and collectively, and is recognized as one of the signs of the borders of politics, economy, culture, art, and history.

An Evolutionary Analysis of the Concept of Time: From Ancient to Postmodern Times

Abstract
 The study traces the evolution of the concept of time from ancient to postmodern times. It explores how great philosophers, theoreticians and scientists have treated the idea of time during different periods. The research finds out that despite the variegated nature of the development of the concept of time, much of human history has observed alternate periods of the linear, teleological and cyclical, non-teleological conceptions of time. The study has established that the same alternating trends mainly influence the human perception of time during the modern and postmodern eras. It also indicates that the progressive and teleological view of time resonates well with the spirit of the modern age. On the other hand, the research argues that the perpetual present, as a non-teleological notion of time, predominates the postmodern time-world.

A Search for a Theology of Life

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic offers the opportunity for theological meditation on several themes: life, death, illness, loneliness, fear, human relations, suffering, and social responsibility. This article addresses these themes only briefly, aiming not to build a systematic theological reflection but to share honest thoughts and concerns. Perhaps in our postmodern times we need, not so much theological certainties, but a theology that accompanies human life. Life and death are the only certainties, regardless of our worldview, perceptions, and theological convictions. The current global crisis has illuminated our shortcomings, failures, and disbeliefs on different levels. As Christians, we are united today also around our weakness, grief, and the loss of “normality.” We are challenged, together with the rest of humanity. Could this be a God‐given opportunity for renewal in our theology and church life?

Rationalism and fideism in the discourse of Ukrainian Protestantism

The article analyzes the forms of rationalism and fideism proposed by Ukrainian Protestant theologians at the beginning of the XXI century. It turns out that these forms of rationalism and fideism were made possible by overcoming the anti-intellectualism that was characteristic of Protestantism in Soviet times. The opposition of tendencies to rationalism and fideism is connected with the positioning of Ukrainian Protestants in the postmodern times. Proponents of de facto rationalism propose to reconstruct the modern religious worldview, re-synthesizing elements of liberal and fundamentalist concepts. The study shows that hopes for the restoration of the modern worldview in the face of the challenges of the early XXI century contain elements of utopianism. Proponents of Fideism suggest taking full account of the real state of affairs in the postmodern era and recognizing the impossibility for Christians to use modern rationalism in all its forms. At the same time, faith acquires special significance as an expression of the personal relations of the holy people with God.
 Ukrainian Protestant rationalism in the article is analyzed on the example of the work of Sergei Golovin as the most consistent expression of this worldview. It has been proven that his ideas depend on the concepts of Norman Geisler, a prominent Protestant theologian. Golovin, imitating Geisler, believes that the Christian worldview should be the final superstructure over the foundation of classical logical rationalism and the ontology of being. This logic comes from classical Thomism. Golovin's rationalism is the rationalism of formal logic. Golovin's first controversial proposal is to reduce the paradoxes and contradictions contained in the Bible. Such a reduction contradicts the biblical studies of the beginning of the 21st century, and therefore can no longer be convincing for professional theologians. For ordinary believers, this reduction is an obscure rationalization of the image of God they have in reading the Scriptures. The second controversial proposition is to convert people first to logical rationality as the ideological foundation of humanity, and then to their conversion to Christianity. Such a proposal is largely outdated, because in the twentieth century it became clear that rationality in itself can be an instrument of any worldview and does not ensure the preservation or rehabilitation of humanity. By comparing it with theological practices of restoring humanity through the ethics of accepting another, the author argues that the restoration of humanity is possible through recourse to the potential of existentialist spirituality, theology of interpersonal communication, and other practical strategies of Christian theology. The biggest shortcoming of Sergei Golovin's rationalism is the proposal to build his own "scientific creationism", which denies the basic scientific theories of today. The most successful element of Golovin's system was social ethics, which offers the idea of ​​a modern state governed by the rule of law as one that can be deduced from the spirit and letter of the biblical commandments.
 The fideism of Ukrainian Protestant theology is born from the understanding that the ethical acceptance of others and love for them is possible only on the basis of personal faith. The challenges of the beginning of the 21st century require the acceptance of another, but individuals and communities lack the natural strength to accept such. And only faith and faith-generated love help to be open to others. Also, the post-capitalist economy of mutual gift, proposed by theologians and Christian communities, is based only on personal faith. It has been proven that the fideism of Ukrainian Protestant theology is closer to the ideas of postconservatism than the concepts of postliberalism.
 It has been found that radical protection of individual rights and humane treatment of others is common to the rationalism and fideism of modern Ukrainian Protestant theology. It is these ideas that are important for understanding what humanity is, which should be a prerequisite for being a true Christian.

Me, myself and I. The Self-Portrait in Postmodern Time

Me, myself and I. The Self-Portrait in Postmodern Time

Me, myself and I. The Self-Portrait in Postmodern Time

Me, myself and I. The Self-Portrait in Postmodern Time

Climb ups or thumbs ups?

In postmodern times, social media is an integral part of informal sports like parkour. It potentially impacts physical activities as well as the assessment of one’s physical abilities and skills. Referring to the under-researched impact on the self-assessment, this study aims to examine if the parkour-related physical self-concept can be determined by social media use, as well as parkour-training aspects and sociodemographics. Two reference points of comparison have been considered, comparing one’s skills to real or virtual parkour communities. To address this research phenomenon, multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. The results showed that a high parkour-related physical self-concept (pkPSC) is primarily determined by the amount of time athletes put into their parkour activities. Furthermore, age and gender played an important role, indicating that being a young male appeared to be a main determinant for a higher pkPSC. Finally, posting parkour-related content in social media appeared to influence the pkPSC, although this finding might be interpreted as causality in both directions. The study identified real-life activities to be more important for the physical self-concept of traceurs; however, social media play a crucial role in the parkour community.

Sedurre a tavola: confini mutati tra pubblicità e fumetti per bambini = Seducing with panels: changing boundaries between advertising and children's comics

This article aims to investigate how advertising in Italy and in children's comics has evolved. In postmodern times when goods have become messages (Klein, 2001), comics' characters are progressively morphing into products. The intensification of the relationship between cultural and economic production (Jameson, 1998) led to different outcomes. On the part of the industry, similar appropriations – although they may seem either innovative or antiquated operations - testify to the persistent idea of a deep-rooted link between childhood and the medium itself (one of the childhood geographies studied by Ahmed 2020). These appropriations also show a relationship that has been established in comics since its origins: the bond between children and consumption in the comics published in Corriere dei Piccoli. This paper discusses the survival of paper comics for educational purposes as well as its strategies to retain the reader (International Kids). These are contrasted with pure entertainment comics which present various hybrid forms on social media such as Instagram and TikTok. Finally, the boundaries between the cartoonist- marketeer and international companies that create or deny the use of testimonials in advertising are also changing. The hybrid forms of comics activate the multimedia skills of the child consumer.

Hermeneutika Alkitab Dalam Sejarah: Prinsip Penafsiran Alkitab Dari Masa ke Masa

The practice of hermeneutics has become an inseparable part of human history. Hermeneutics as human activity arises from the need to interpret thoughts or texts written by others. A historical search reveals that there have been some changes in the principles of biblical hermeneutics. This paper aims to find out what are the principles of hermeneutics that developed from the early church up to the postmodern era. This paper is a historical approach using documentary research method. The results of this study state that there are at least three principles of biblical interpretation from the early church to postmodern times. First, the literal hermeneutics of the Bible was agreed upon by all early church Fathers, although contextual, grammatical, and historical interpretation of the Bible was emphasized by two church Fathers, namely Theodore and Chrysostom. This literal hermeneutics was used until the reform era. Second, modern hermeneutics refers to reason rather than the literal principle. This is the emerge of hermeneutics of relativism which bases truth on the senses and reasons. This principle agrees the application of rationalism to the Bible which leads to historical-critical. Third, contemporary (postmodern) hermeneutics is more towards a process of understanding that is temporary. This means that understanding has no clear boundaries, and that interpreters cannot reach a fully certain understanding. Thus, contemporary biblical hermeneutics is full of subjectivism, relativism, pluralism and is temporary.

TINJAUAN TEOLOGIS TERHADAP POSTMODERNISME DAN IMPLIKASINYA BAGI IMAN KRISTEN

Times have changed, from pre-modern to modern, and now into postmodern times. The postmodern era is also followed by philosophical thinking from postmodernism. These philosophical thoughts have greatly influenced the lives of many people, who have also touched on aspects of the Christian faith. The principles of postmodernism are subjectivism, anti-history, perspective pluralism, and relativity. These principles have a negative influence on the principles of the Christian faith so that postmodernism is one of the challenges in the Christian faith. The challenge is that postmodernism is an objective anti-truth philosophy. So that it affects the lives of believers so that they remain faithful to reveal the final truth of the Christian faith, making Christian faith the only test tool against postmodernism and dismantling the falsity of postmodernism. Therefore this article was written to provide an understanding of postmodernism and its implications for the Christian faith so that many believers can provide anticipation in the postmodern era that is lived today.

Palimpsests of memory: the medieval city of Athens in modern and postmodern contexts

This article addresses attitudes towards the medieval past of Athens from modern to postmodern times. Athens, a symbol of classical civilisation, had become a provincial Byzantine centre. From the proclamation of Athens in 1833 as the capital of the modern Greek state to about 1880, archaeological research in Athens focused on classical antiquities at the expense of the preservation of monuments of the Middle Ages, which was regarded as a period of decline. The historical and artistic value of Athenian medieval monuments has been acknowledged since the late nineteenth century. The international progress of Byzantine studies, the national narrative on the continuity of Greek history, the political concept of the megali idea (“Great Idea”), and contemporary state policies based on “diachrony and synergy” contributed to this significant ideological shift. Athens is, however, still renowned and admired worldwide for its classical past, with its medieval cultural heritage less highlighted.