Changes

'''Postmodernism''' is a recent movement in the humanities characterized by denial of the possibility of knowing objective truth, and which asserts that assertions of objective knowledge are generally impossible.  For example, the postmodern will look at a statement primarily in terms of the motives of the person making it. It emphasizes the role of language, and of power relations involved in being male (versus female), straight (versus gay), white (vesus colored), and imperial (versus colonial).   

'''Postmodernism''' is a recent movement in the humanities characterized by denial of the possibility of knowing objective truth, and which asserts that assertions of objective knowledge are generally impossible.  For example, the postmodern will look at a statement primarily in terms of the motives of the person making it. It emphasizes the role of language, and of power relations involved in being male (versus female), straight (versus gay), white (vesus colored), and imperial (versus colonial).   

Postmodernity has influenced many disparate fields of the humanities, such as literary criticism, linguistics, art history, and photography.  It promotes the study of gay culture (called [[Queer Theory]]) as well as Women's Studies.  It is weakly represented in historiography and the social sciences, and practically does not exist in the sciences or engineering.

Postmodernity has influenced many disparate fields of the humanities, such as literary criticism, linguistics, art history, and photography.  It promotes the study of gay culture (called Queer Theory) as well as Women's Studies.  It is weakly represented in historiography and the social sciences, and practically does not exist in the sciences or engineering.

Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from modern approaches that had previously been dominant.  The term "postmodernism" comes from its rejection of the "modern" scientific mentality created by the [[Enlightenment]].  Both movements coexist today, as does traditionalism.

Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from modern approaches that had previously been dominant.  The term "postmodernism" comes from its rejection of the "modern" scientific mentality created by the [[Enlightenment]].  Both movements coexist today, as does traditionalism.

Critics of postmodernism include traditionalists who believe that truths from authoritative sources should always be believed, and modernists who believe that rational, scientific approaches can lead to the discovery of the truth.

Critics of postmodernism include traditionalists who believe that truths from authoritative sources should always be believed, and modernists who believe that rational, scientific approaches can lead to the discovery of the truth.

==Postmodernism, antiamericanism, and reverse racism==

==Postmodern Criticism in the Humanities==

Postmodernism can be used to criticize interventionist foreign policy--especially U.S. policies--claiming that forcing other cultures into a Western democratic mold before they are ready for it is a bad idea.  

A popular tactic of postmodernism is to attack or ridicule the western canon of literature, music, and art. Implied in such rhetorical flourishes as the "Great Man" theory and the epithet "Dead White Male" is the criticism that the canon, because of its exclusion of works by women and minorities, is undeserving of respect. In the past several decades, this has led to intense debate over curriculum in public schools and universities, especially over which literary works should be taught in classrooms.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/18/opinion/the-crime-of-white-maleness.html</ref>

A major theme is to attack the culture of "dead white males," by claiming that such cultural output was imposed by patriarchal or imperialistic forces.

Criticisms of this stance often make one of two points. First is that the epithet "dead white male" focuses disproportionately on race and gender, obscuring the fact that many artists traditionally have struggled to survive or made brave stances against authority. The second point is that the works of the canon are indeed valuable, and recognizing this value does not prohibit us from studying valuable art of other cultures or from traditionally opressed groups in western culture.<ref>http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2006/01/27/EdOp/dead-White.Men.Have.Much.To.Offer.Students-1515340.shtml</ref>

==Postmodernism and immorality==

==The Sokal Affair==

 

==Discredited in science==

Alan Sokal famously exposed postmodern approaches to the hard sciences as deeply flawed in 1996 by successfully publishing nonsense in a [[Social Text|postmodern humanities journal]], making it a laughing stock among scientists.<ref>http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/index.html</ref>

Alan Sokal famously exposed postmodern approaches to the hard sciences as deeply flawed in 1996 by successfully publishing nonsense in a [[Social Text|postmodern humanities journal]], making it a laughing stock among scientists.<ref>http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/index.html</ref>