Postmodern Theory Research Articles

Klaus Hemmerle on the Trinitarian Ontology of the Human Person

The 20th-century quest for a Trinitarian ontology was associated with a critical reconsideration of the modern philosophy of the subject. However, this reconsideration did not reject the question of subjectivity itself. It rather rejected any narrowed ontological assumptions that would identify the very ground of subjectivity with a univocal eidetic structure of being. In its most advanced forms, the modern and postmodern philosophy of the subject proved to be radically structuralist, relational, or even differentialist. While many attempts at Trinitarian ontology have faced this challenge either by adapting Christian dialogical personalism or reviving older metaphysical traditions and notions, e.g., the analogy, the participation, and the concept of the subsisting person, Klaus Hemmerle emphasised in his Theses Towards a Trinitarian Ontology (1976) above all the ontological primacy of the relational self-giving (Sich-Geben), explicated phenomenologically. Every subsisting being, including the human person, gains its concrete contour only from within this relational process. But does this relational reappearance of the human person mean its self-alienated completion, or rather its complete alienation? How can this relational account of the human person be related to older metaphysical, theological, and personalistic traditions? Does Hemmerle avoid the dangerous dissolution of the human person as a mere processual moment of the whole community and the world?

The "House of Leaves" and the problem of the postmodern chronotope.

In this article, the object of research is a novel by Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves" in the context of postmodernism. The subject of the study is the phenomenon of the chronotope in the novel by Mark Z. Danilevsky's "House of Leaves". Special attention is paid to the cultural and historical analysis of the postmodern context and the belonging of Roman Danilevsky to it. A general cross-section of the state of the socio-cultural environment from the moment of publication of the work to the present is given. The analysis of the publications of foreign researchers who have already addressed this topic, and the analysis of their views on the spatio-temporal features of Roman Danilevsky is carried out. The characteristic features of the theories of postmodernism that took shape in the postmodern era in their relationship with the novel "The House of Leaves" are singled out and described separately. By means of a comparative analysis addressed to foreign studies in the field of philosophy, as well as to literary and critical works devoted to the "House of Leaves", an indirect conclusion about the categories of space-time in the novel is formulated. The properties of the "House of Leaves" narrative related to these categories are described: layering, intersection and interaction of various narrative levels of the novel. Based on the study of the features of the chronotope "House of Leaves", the dominants are established, according to which the novel can be attributed to the current of postmodernism. The scientific novelty lies in the description of the author's narrative strategy, which led to the creation of the chronotope of the original type. The question of the future of novels based on the chronotope of the type described in the article continues to be debatable.

CONTEMPORARY CRITICAL THOUGHTS IN “ENGLAND, ENGLAND”

The article investigates the latest critical views in England by analyzing a postmodern novel “England, England” by contemporary British author Julian Barnes, applying the postmodernist theory of deconstruction fostered by French philosopher Jacques Derrida. The theory’s main components such as the tension between memory and fidelity, heterogeneity, a break and absolute newness are regarded as the focus in examining and understanding highly developed current societies that are rejecting the mere objectivity of earlier movements and praising the diversity of truth.

The Structure Researh on the Post-Modernism Feminism of Luce Irigaray

This dissertation demonstrates the thoughts on the outstanding theory of Luce Irigaray.In the introduction part of this dissertation,it specified the research perspective, research features and research significance.This dissertation is to study the feminist theory of Irigaray from the perspective of postmodernism. One thing is that the feminist research has entered the postmodern context as of the period of Irigaray's theory creation,hence,as Irigaray is deeply influenced by the western postmodern philosophy,her theory therefore reflects the deconstruction philosophy significantly.Whereas, this dissertation interprets the general context of the development of western feminist movement and feminist literary criticism and then explains the basic position of deconstruction philosophy.

ISLAMIC DISRUPTION: How Digital Platform Changes Religious Pattern of Muslim Society in Contemporary Indonesia

This study discusses the phenomenon of Islamic disruption among contemporary Muslims in Indonesia. There are three research questions discussed in this study; How is the existence of Muslim netizens in Indonesia today? What are the religious dynamics that occur among Muslim netizens in Indonesia? How does the disruption of Islam affect their religious patterns and behavior? By conducting an in-depth analysis based on the perspective of postmodern sociological theory, this study found three findings; First, contemporary Indonesian Muslims are Muslim netizens who have a high dependence on technology and information media with digital platforms. Second, the Islamic disruptions among native Muslims occur in two aspects, namely the aspect of worship marked by a shift in religious behavior from traditional rituals to modern rituals. Next is the education aspect, shifting the Muslim netizen's religious learning tradition which is no longer centered in the conventional space, but shifts to a digital-based virtual space. Third, religious disruption affects the religious culture of Muslim netizens through three elements; speed, surprise, and finally a sudden shift.

The Ability of Language to Reflect Reality: Reference Theory and Dictionary Theory

The article deals with the fundamental problem of hermeneutics and the whole study of language as a means of communication - the ability of language to reflect reality. The study begins with an overview of the problem and the authors who dealt with it. This is followed by a detailed review of referential theory as the main and oldest theory in the study of language functions. The next part of the article discusses one of the modern theories in philosophy – the theory of dictionaries by Richard Rorty. It is concluded that the referential theory, although useful and fundamental, is very far from a full and comprehensive explanation of the functioning of language. It is correct in its basis, but does not explain most cases of language use, when the meanings of words and expressions are variable, ambiguous and contextually adaptive. Instead, Richard Rorty's theory of dictionaries is more flexible, broad, and explains those aspects of language use that are not covered by reference theory. The theory of dictionaries is essentially a pragmatic theory. It reflects the attempts of postmodern philosophers to free all spheres of human activity (including speech) from authoritarianism and the fixation of more traditional approaches.

VIEWING POSTMODERN AMERICAN YOUTH SOCIETY THROUGH UGLIES AND THE HUNGER GAMES: A TURN FROM NOSTALGIA TO ESCAPE

At the turn of the 21st century, Americans experienced the shift from the Modern Era to the Postmodern Era. The Modern Era that worships technology blurs the borders between countries. Technology and transportation, as the major components of the revolution in the globalization era, have labeled the planet a ‘global world’. This study found out that the Internet, for instance, has made access among countries possible. One of the effects of this movement towards globalization is the erosion of American exclusivity. Apart from its positive contributions to the world, technology has produced world chaos and destruction. The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001 and the economic crisis in 2008 are two fatal catastrophes that hit America in the 21st century and caused major trauma to the American people. This study is conducted to analyze postmodern American youth society through the analysis of Uglies and The Hunger Games to see how American youth make a turn from a victorious nostalgia to an escape from reality and create their own imaginary worlds through dystopian literature in response to what is happening in America. Using the theories of Postmodernism, small narratives from the data of the two novels are collected to reveal what are implicitly stated in the two novels.

MODERN TRENDS IN THE RESTORATION OF ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS

The article considers the modern experience in the restoration of objects of architectural heritage of various types, systematization is carried out and current trends in restoration activities on architectural monuments are highlighted. Among the trends are: the emergence of a heterodox theory of heritage conservation, the use of innovative information technologies for reconstruction and design, the active restoration of objects of modernism, a change in the goals of adaptive reuse of monuments, the widespread use of holistic restoration and the complete reconstruction of objects from ruins.
 A new theory of heritage conservation is important. It shows the penetration into the restoration of the philosophy of postmodernism, radically changing the policy, strategies, methods and ethics of the restoration of historical monuments.

Who killed social welfare?

Abstract Social welfare policy is a modernist enterprise that grew out of the Enlightenment project. By attacking the theoretical foundation of Enlightenment thought, postmodernism directly challenges the theoretical foundation of social welfare policy. As postmodern theory is increasingly used to ‘deconstruct’ social policy, the means to justify the welfare state are at risk of collapsing. It will be argued that, despite all its acclaim, postmodern theory has not only functioned as an ally of neoliberalism, postmodern theory has obscured the problems of mushrooming inequality, increasing privatisation of public and social services and, the erosion of the welfare state by framing these issues as questions of difference, diversity and choice. Through a re-examination of the Enlightenment project as it relates to the theoretical foundation of the welfare state, it will be argued that the welfare state requires a notion of collective responsibility, a position that is theoretically supported by psychoanalytic theory. Applied to social welfare, psychoanalytic theory could provide the intellectual tools to develop and justify policies; it offers a theoretical method to re-establish the welfare state as an ideal of the democratic project.

The Shakir's Ghazal and Modernity, Post-Modernity

Everything changes with time. Literary trends also were changing with time. As progressive movement has destroyed traditional literary trends. Similarly, the theories of modernism, post modernism, colonialism and structuralism have influenced the literature around the globe. Saraiki literature has also been influenced by these theories and movements. We have tried to analyze this fact there. Shakir Shuja Abadi is the renowned nation poet of Saraiki language. The odd of Shakir is analyzed in the light of theories of modernism and post modernism to see to extent. Shakir's odd meet the criteria of the mentioned theories. How well this odd reflects the Facts and problems of society and how much improvement he wants in society.

Role of Theatricality in Samuel Fyzee-Rahamin's Play Daughter of Ind

This study aims at investigating the theatrical aspects of SamuelFyzee-Rahamin’s play text Daughter of Ind. The playwright's theatricality comprises of a variety of distancing devices that are artistically positioned to realize the intended sociopolitical goals. To pop up the spectacle dimension of the said text, various situations, episodes, and personages are shrewdly juxtaposed against each other. This phenomenon inevitably necessitates the sense of urgency, immediacy, and the unfolding of the dialogic filters. A paradigm of analogies is introduced intentionally to complement and reinforce the dialectical configurations. Histrionic expressions and actions push the characters and the discourses towards the stagy world of acting. Theatrical imagery, the intervention of supernatural elements, the polyphony of competitive ideologies, and the narrational voice are the other features of theatricality that smartly challenge the coercive structures like patriarchy,colonialism, and the marginalization of the weak sections of the Indian society.Naivety is a common technique used by political dramatists to successfully enlist the attention of the audience. A theoretical framework for this study consists of postmodern theories on theater, especially Wladimir Krysinski’sessay Changed Textual Signs in Modern Theatricality.

Spatial narrative research with architecture as the media

Abstract With the development of economic globalization and the information age, architecture has gradually become a kind of seal of politics, capital and culture, and is divorced from the spirit and life experience of the existing places in the region. Therefore, the field of architecture constantly seeks new research paradigm from the interdisciplinary perspective and reconsiders the creative activities of architecture. From the late last century, with the introduction of architecture by postmodern philosophy, semiotics, geographical psychology, phenomenology and cultural anthropology, there has been a cross-research between architecture and narratology. The recent research hopes to conduct an in-depth analysis of the theory of architectural spatial narrative and its development in the context of complex disciplines, and to research spatial narrative as a design methodology for architecture.

Disscussions Of Postmodernism & Feminism

Postmodernism is a broad movement that developed in the late 20th century across the different fields of life e.g arts, Philosophy, architecture and criticism. It is an intellectual stance or a mode of discourse that rejects the possibility of reliable knowledge. Feminism is a range of different political movements, ideologies and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish and achieve the political, economic, personal and social equality of genders. This research article comprises of basic and ideological discourse on post modernism and feminism in Urdu literature. In this article the evolution of feministic theory has been observed, keeping in view the philosophical discourse shaped on universal level and the historical perspective of women.In addition ,a brief review of another important post modern theory New Historicism has also been stated in this article.

Harmful, helpful, or both? A commentary on postmodernism and critical theories in community development education

ABSTRACT In this relatively informal commentary, I discuss the potentially helpful and harmful roles that postmodernism and critical theories have in academia in general and particularly in community development scholarship and pedagogy. After introducing postmodernism and critical theories as well as some of the common criticisms of these frameworks, I discuss the importance of cultural capital in community development and how postmodernism and critical theories can protect and maintain cultural capital as well as damage and diminish it. I also discuss the importance of ensuring students in community development courses understand these frameworks and understand that they are but some of the theories and skills students will need to know to be effective and ethical community development scholars and practitioners. The duty of educators is to ensure that students have the abilities and support to do the hard work of critically evaluating and analyzing all viable approaches to community development work.

Enhancement of constructivist and procedural concepts of good citizenship and civic identity in the Czech educational framework

This paper identifies the main flaws, dilemmas and challenges concerning the concept of civic education and teaching democracy in the Czech schooling system after 1989. Special focus is placed on the urgent need for the application of more pluralist, constructivist and procedural approaches that would enhance the traditional concepts of social science education based on facts and typologies. In this regard, methods and trends promoting the principle of civic education as a multidimensional and everyday phenomenon are applied, since such understanding of civic identity has become even more urgent in recent two years with the reflection of issues concerning the SARS‑CoV‑2 situation. To suggest and analyse possible means to this end, the study outlines two dominant causes of the low prestige and effectivity of civic education in the Czech Republic: first, the implicitly ideological and universalist character of the current national curriculum, which is not able to accept social values as a permanently flowing and contextually based discourse; second, the prevalence of ethnic attributes in the process of national identification which impede any relevant efforts to treat collective identity and citizenship in an open pluralist way. Nonetheless, the main focus of the paper lies in its empirical part where the fundamental pillars and particular activities from the current EU project—realised at several Czech universities and grammar schools in recent three years—are both presented and analysed. On the basis of this project analysis, the paper aims to demonstrate that together with the implementation of procedural, interpretative and constructivist understanding of social reality, even more radical questions—linked to postmodern democratic theory—such as the notion of agonist democracy, the impact of social networks, the reflection of instrumental manipulative behaviour as well as more unbiased interpretations of human liberty should be addressed in the Czech current educational discourse as well.

Enlighten me: teaching social justice in further and higher education by reclaiming philosophically liberal values – a social work education case study

ABSTRACT This article suggests that traditional, liberal values that comprise the broad value consensus of most western democracies may be at risk of erosion, especially in further and higher education settings. The factors that may be contributing to their devaluation include: the down-grading of belief in unique individualism and common humanity in favour of reified group identity, the erosion of the importance of ‘liberal science’ or a liberal definition of what constitutes knowledge, the supplanting of economic social justice concerns with identity matters, and the erosion of free speech. These developments are related to the promotion of a certain type of postmodern social justice critical theory, typified by critical race theory (CRT), and this article will explore their impact on education. Tenets of CRT, as espoused by mainstream writers, will be summarised and contrasted with liberal values to illustrate the concerns raised. In the example of social work education, the case is made that postmodern critical social work can be co-opted by ‘progressive neoliberalism’ and the punitive approach to ‘undeserving’ groups that this entails. Awareness of this concerning development is very important in the education of future professionals in any of the human services. The article concludes that liberal principles should be robustly reclaimed within social work and further and higher education more broadly.

Transitioning Integration: The Case of Regan and the Future of a Paradigm

This article draws on narrative conventions to present a long-term case study involving a person engaged in a relational psychoanalytic treatment for childhood trauma, gender nonconformity, and religious disenfranchisement. Particular efforts are made to recapitulate Lindbeck’s seminal theological insights with regard to the nature and function of ecclesial doctrines, which are subsequently applied as hermeneutical sensibilities toward various integrative themes and processes emerging within this case study. Furthermore, a number of subordinate perspectives deemed to be coherent within Lindbeck’s superordinate conception of postliberal (or narrative) approaches to theology are privileged throughout this article. These postmodern perspectives are differentiated from more conservative and liberal approaches to theology. Afterward a postliberal theological framework is conceptualized as nesting interdisciplinary insights pertinent to this case study from miscellaneous scholars of relational psychoanalysis, gender and sexuality studies, and postmodern philosophies. Special considerations are given to three nested concepts from these scholars: identities as (co-constructed) soft assemblies; selves as braided and porous; and integrated multiplicity as normative. Auxiliary idioms to include queering, centering, witnessing, and prototyping are also applied at different points in this article. Together these idiomatic concepts are believed to supply viable alternatives to many modern conceptions of essentialism and supplement a postliberal approach to this case study. To be sure, it is suggested throughout this article that forms of modernity are conflated with theological approaches and now require attention from those communities who constitute the integrative paradigm. These points are summarized following this case study, which both reflects critically on the clinician’s subjectivity and renders coherent the clinical process from a postliberal theological framework.

Intermediality of the Serbian novel of the end of the XX ‒ early XXI century

The relevance of the analysis is due to the fact that the poetics of literary trends, trends and styles of the late XX – early XXI century characterized by a variety of implementation methods. Intermediate is considered one of its modes. The modern history of the art of words in Serbia separately demonstrates a convincing statement of “new genre meanings of an expressed combined character.” Analytical coverage of the experience of the intermediate format of literary actualization of the poetics of fine art is the purpose of this article. The novelty of the presented material lies in the precedent systematization of individual manifestations of intermediality in the discourse of the Serbian novel. The study is
 based on the productivity of the method of structural analysis in combination with the culture-semiotic approach. In the novels by D. Kish “Klepsidra”, S. Basara “Fama about cyclists”, M. Pavich “Khazar Dictionary”, “Second Body” there is a separate form of intermediality, which is associated with formal-visual inclusion of graphic fragments in the space of prose text. Reproductions, integrated by the artists into their works, testify to the precedents of form and sense actualization according to the principle of psychologization of the visual image, which allows making a more detailed, virtuosic depiction of emotional movements of iconic characters, their spiritual evolution. In conclusion, it should be admitted that in images that are tangent to the intermedia field or appear in it are brought to the constructive level of worldview concepts established in postmodern philosophy. Thus, in the novels of well-known Serbian writers there is a separate precedent of formal and semantic activation of the expressive means of fine arts, in particular the genre of reproduction in the format of an intermedia canon. And its originality and meaning-creating inspiration in outlining the humanistic perspective testifies to the essential enrichment of the poetic discourse of the contemporary Serbian novel.

From Pilgrim to Local The Problem of Unity in Postmodern Philosophy

In this article, the author outlines the problem of unity from the perspective of postmodern philosophy. Basically, unity of the human being is one of the most important problems of philosophy. Ancient philosophers identified human being as identical with citizenship. Man as a citizen of Athens was able to prove his citizenship of Athens by pointing to his ownership of family tombs and fireplace. Medieval philosophy continued the ancient idea but added one new aspect, hope. A medieval man was a citizen of the empire, but at the same time he or she was a citizen of Kingdom of Heaven. He or she was a pilgrim who travelled to God. Modern philosophy develops unity in an absolutely different way of thinking. First, what we have to know is that unity is a problem. Second, if we would like to solve this problem, it is absolutely necessary to use a new terminology. In this article I emphasize like to highlight the phenomenon of identity through an analysis that the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman did in the past three decades. He divided a modern man into two categories. First, Bauman characterized a modern man as a global, very rich and well educated and can invest capital in all countries of the world. The second type is a local. He is a type of modern man who is not necessarily poor, but who is bound to only one place where he resides. The problem of the locals is that they cannot freely travel and invest in their own capital. Locals live in one place, they have not enough power to influence local politics, economy, infrastructure, religions. Globals are able to influence the local community by means of politics, economy, social structures, and religion. Zygmunt Bauman describes the identity of modern man as a tension between locals and globals.

Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets: The Culture of Objects in Late Chosŏn Korean Art by Sunglim Kim, and: A New Middle Kingdom: Painting and Cultural Politics in Late Chosŏn Korea (1700–1850) by J. P. Park

Reviewed by: Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets: The Culture of Objects in Late Chosŏn Korean Art by Sunglim Kim, and: A New Middle Kingdom: Painting and Cultural Politics in Late Chosŏn Korea (1700–1850) by J. P. Park Yoonjung Seo Sunglim Kim, Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets: The Culture of Objects in Late Chosŏn Korean Art (Seattle: Univ. of Seattle Press, 2018). Pp. 304; 80 color illus., 18 b/w illus., 1 map. $65.00 cloth. J. P. Park, A New Middle Kingdom: Painting and Cultural Politics in Late Chosŏn Korea (1700–1850) (Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press, 2018). Pp. 296; 93 color illus. $65.00 cloth. As a field of research, Korean art history is relatively young. It has grown rapidly over the last five decades: ritual, social, and political contexts have been investigated, period styles have been defined, canonical works have been identified, and important subjects and iconography have been discerned. Among scholars of Korean art, however, the nationalistic ideology that Korean art uniquely represents “Korean-ness” remains deeply entrenched, causing aesthetic value and style to be seen as expressions of national spirit and suggesting that the cultural essence of Korean art remains unchanged throughout history. This tendency has left little room for modernist or postmodernist theory, argumentation, questioning of social contexts, or consideration of a more nuanced role for Korea in East Asia. Sunglim Kim’s Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets and J.P. Park’s A New Middle Kingdom are timely and valuable contributions to our understanding of the complex problems that Korean art historians have faced for decades. The authors tackle the issues of social class, the art market, nationalism, and cultural identity in the visual and material culture of the eighteenth-century Chosŏn dynasty, an era marked by economic and cultural efflorescence. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical perspectives, both authors offer insightful analyses of paintings along with examination of literary sources such as contemporaneous poems, diaries, letters, correspondence, and travel accounts. Sunglim Kim’s Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets investigates the roles of the chungin, an upper-middle-class group of lesser bureaucrats and well-educated technical specialists, in the development of the art market and material culture of the late Chosŏn period (1700–1910). Kim calls into question “the traditional binary system” that categorizes Korean artists as either amateur literati or professional court painters and overlooks the existence of the chungin (7). Underscoring the role of the chungin as creators and consumers of artwork and as connoisseurs and tastemakers, Kim explores two related subjects—ch’aekkŏri screens and flowering plum paintings. Kim’s stylistic analysis and iconographical research shed light on chungin artists’ innovation of new subjects and styles as well as their commercial stimulation of late Chosŏn art. The first chapter opens with the chungins’ attempts to form a collective identity through cultural activities, including creating poetry societies, collecting art, pursuing painting and calligraphy, and acting as connoisseurs, dealers, and patrons, activities pursued with the goal of creating new genres as self-expression and a new group identity. Countering long-standing assumptions of a rigid unilateral relationship between the ruling yangban aristocrats and the secondary chungin class, Kim offers a complex reading of these groups’ relationships as exemplified by the careers of Kim Chŏnghŭi (1768–1856), the eminent yangban scholar artist, and Yi Sangjŏk (1804–1865), a Chinese-Korean chungin interpreter. According to Kim, [End Page 395] their relationship was not simply that of “yangban-teacher and chungin-follower” but rather “a fluid association, mutually dependent and beneficial with reciprocal exchanges of material, services, and artistic and monetary rewards” (41). Chapter 2 turns to ch’aekkŏri screens, opening with description of their role as a reflection of their owner’s social status, knowledge, wealth, and cultural sophistication. Ch’aekkŏri screens’ representation of still lives with books made them a genre newly invented by chungin painters, one that in Kim’s view bespeaks their owners’ attachment to “material culture and self-expression through peculiar obsessions” (29). The extraordinary material culture, avid cultural and artistic expression, and innovative artistic experimentation with European painting techniques that are reflected in ch...