Postmodernism: Profound, or Gibberish?

[Mr Spinkles]

Can anyone explain what the heck this postmodernist author is saying? I don't understand it....see article below

The precultural paradigm of reality in the works of Joyce

John la Fournier
Department of Peace Studies, Oxford University


1. Contexts of stasis

If one examines realism, one is faced with a choice: either accept structural rationalism or conclude that reality may be used to marginalize the proletariat. The subject is interpolated into a that includes art as a whole.
“Consciousness is part of the meaninglessness of truth,” says Baudrillard. It could be said that the defining characteristic, and eventually the dialectic, of the precultural paradigm of reality which is a central theme of Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man emerges again in Dubliners, although in a more self-referential sense. The primary theme of the works of Joyce is a semioticist totality.
Thus, the premise of postcultural capitalism holds that sexual identity has intrinsic meaning, but only if sexuality is interchangeable with culture. Sontag uses the term ‘the precultural paradigm of reality’ to denote the economy, and some would say the fatal flaw, of dialectic society.
But the characteristic theme of von Ludwig’s[1] analysis of realism is the role of the artist as participant. The subject is contextualised into a that includes art as a reality.
In a sense, in Finnegan’s Wake, Joyce deconstructs realism; in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man he analyses dialectic rationalism. Debord suggests the use of structural rationalism to deconstruct class divisions.
2. Joyce and postcultural desublimation

The main theme of the works of Joyce is the collapse of dialectic narrativity. Thus, if structural rationalism holds, the works of Joyce are not postmodern. Marx promotes the use of the precultural paradigm of reality to challenge and modify class.
“Society is fundamentally a legal fiction,” says Lacan. However, Parry[2] states that we have to choose between structural rationalism and cultural deappropriation. The primary theme of de Selby’s[3] critique of realism is the role of the artist as poet.
“Sexual identity is part of the economy of reality,” says Lyotard; however, according to von Ludwig[4] , it is not so much sexual identity that is part of the economy of reality, but rather the futility, and some would say the paradigm, of sexual identity. In a sense, Baudrillard suggests the use of textual capitalism to attack sexism. The subject is interpolated into a that includes sexuality as a paradox.
But the example of the precultural paradigm of reality prevalent in Joyce’s Ulysses is also evident in Finnegan’s Wake. Marx uses the term ‘precapitalist theory’ to denote the stasis of dialectic class.
In a sense, in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man, Joyce affirms realism; in Finnegan’s Wake, although, he denies the precultural paradigm of reality. Baudrillard uses the term ‘realism’ to denote a self-falsifying totality.
Thus, Lyotard promotes the use of the precultural paradigm of reality to deconstruct language. The main theme of the works of Joyce is the common ground between class and sexual identity.
But Derrida uses the term ‘the subdeconstructivist paradigm of consensus’ to denote the dialectic, and subsequent defining characteristic, of cultural class. Marx suggests the use of structural rationalism to challenge hierarchy.
In a sense, the primary theme of Bailey’s[5] essay on realism is the bridge between society and sexual identity. If postconceptualist nihilism holds, we have to choose between the precultural paradigm of reality and capitalist desublimation.
3. Realism and neosemantic capitalism

If one examines textual precultural theory, one is faced with a choice: either reject neosemantic capitalism or conclude that consciousness is unattainable. Thus, Foucault’s critique of realism holds that expression must come from the masses. Sartre promotes the use of the precultural paradigm of reality to modify and analyse class.
“Truth is part of the failure of reality,” says Marx; however, according to Tilton[6] , it is not so much truth that is part of the failure of reality, but rather the genre of truth. It could be said that several narratives concerning the stasis, and some would say the collapse, of neodialectic sexual identity may be found. Dahmus[7] implies that the works of Joyce are modernistic.
But the subject is contextualised into a that includes culture as a paradox. Baudrillard suggests the use of neosemantic capitalism to attack the status quo.
Thus, the creation/destruction distinction which is a central theme of Joyce’s Dubliners emerges again in A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man, although in a more mythopoetical sense. The subject is interpolated into a that includes consciousness as a whole.
However, if neosemantic capitalism holds, we have to choose between Lacanist obscurity and dialectic objectivism. Any number of desituationisms concerning realism exist.
It could be said that Marx promotes the use of the neocapitalist paradigm of narrative to modify society. The subject is contextualised into a that includes culture as a reality.
1. von Ludwig, V. O. E. (1988) Discourses of Absurdity: Realism, Marxism and the neostructuralist paradigm of narrative. University of Massachusetts Press
2. Parry, A. U. ed. (1996) The precultural paradigm of reality and realism. Harvard University Press
3. de Selby, V. (1987) Reassessing Realism: Realism in the works of Gibson. Panic Button Books
4. von Ludwig, B. T. S. ed. (1970) Realism and the precultural paradigm of reality. University of California Press
5. Bailey, V. (1998) The Dialectic of Truth: Marxism, Derridaist reading and realism. University of Illinois Press
6. Tilton, W. M. I. ed. (1972) The precultural paradigm of reality and realism. Panic Button Books
7. Dahmus, D. (1993) The Reality of Genre: Realism and the precultural paradigm of reality. University of Oregon Press

 

[lunamoth]

Looks like one of those computer-generated essays to me.

 

[lilithu]

What, are we supposed to do your homework for you?

The author's language is obtuse. It's the kind of writing that gives academics a bad reputation. :thud:

But I can try to explain postmodernism to you, if you want. It is basically the recognition that what we thought of as objective reality isn't really objective. It only appeared that way because most people saw it the same way. Or, more accurately, most people with the power to call the shots saw it the same way. But in this world where we meet and interact with people of so many different perspectives, it's become clear that different people see things very differently.

So, one is faced with a choice... either insist on the objectivity of the currently accepted paradigm, or recognize that the currently accepted paradigm marginalizes those who have different views and are not in power to define what is "objective."


(I have NO idea why he brings capitalism and sexual identity into the fray. Is this really the paper he wrote or did you cut and paste the most ridiculous stuff?)

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Thanks for the explanation, lilithu.

So, one is faced with a choice... either insist on the objectivity of the currently accepted paradigm, or recognize that the currently accepted paradigm marginalizes those who have different views and are not in power to define what is "objective."

Shouldn't we make this evaluation of paradigms on a case-by-case basis, and in light of the facts/reasoning relevant in each case?

The language in the article is more than obtuse....it's pure postmodern gobbledy-gook. It seems to me that the authors use high-flown language as a cover for incoherence. I would love to see someone try to explain it in plain English.

 

[Sunstone]

Post modernism is intellectual fad.

 

[lilithu]

Thanks for the explanation, lilithu.

Shouldn't we make this evaluation of paradigms on a case-by-case basis, and in light of the facts/reasoning relevant in each case?

Who is doing the evaluating?

 

[lilithu]

Post modernism is intellectual fad.

Post modernism pervades every aspect of society, from philosophy to politics to the arts to religion.

Postmodernism is here to stay. And all we have to do is wait for the modernists to die off.

 

[Sunstone]

Post modernism pervades every aspect of society, from philosophy to politics to the arts to religion.

Postmodernism is here to stay. And all we have to do is wait for the modernists to die off.

If it's missing from the sciences, it's a fad.

 

[lilithu]

If it's missing from the sciences, it's a fad.

1. Who said it was missing from the sciences?

2. Who says?

 

[lunamoth]

I thought post-modernism killed science with the same arrow it used to kill God!

 

[Nanda]

I love postmodernism. But in response to whether it's profound or gibberish, it's a little of both.

 

[Sunstone]

I thought post-modernism killed science with the same arrow it used to kill God!

Naw. Worldwide, the sciences are still the major source of new truths, genuinely creative ideas, and progressive approaches to problems. I think Post-Modernism is just a Euro-American game for idle intellectuals.

 

[lilithu]

Spinks, here is an example of post-modern thinking:

I had a whole semester on the book of Job.

The classical way of thinking would have been: "Job is a book in the bible. The bible is the word of God. Therefore, everything in Job is the word of God."

The modernist way of thinking would have been: "Job is a book written by Semitic people. We can analyze Job in order to determine characteristics about the writer(s)."

The post-modernist way of thinking is: "Let's take the text of Job at its word, without bringing in external considerations (ie - word of God, written by Semitic peoples...), without bringing in the assumptions that go with that. What is the story about? Who is Job? What meaning can we derive from it?"

 

[lilithu]

I think Post-Modernism is just a Euro-American game for idle intellectuals.

Liberation theology is post-modern.

There is nothing Euro-American nor idle about liberation theology.

Post-modernism is the great equalizer. It recognizes a variety of different valid perspectives instead of insisting that there is only one. It's usually the Euro-Americans - the old white men in power - who claim there's only one valid perspective and it's theirs.

 

[Sunstone]

Liberation theology is post-modern.

There is nothing euro-American nor idle about liberation theology.

Right. Everyone knows liberation theology organically grew out of Native American cultures and had nothing to do with any folks who had a European cultural inheritance and education.

Post-Modernism is just another idle easy-come, easy-go ideology. In a few decades it will be forgotten.

 

[Sunstone]

Post-modernism is the great equalizer.

Science is a far greater equalizer.

 

[Sunstone]

I think post-modernism appeals to intellectuals in part because it's a badge of some sort -- intellectuals, at least some of them, use it kind of like a street gang uses it's colors -- as a means of quickly identifying the "in" group and distinguishing between "in" group and "out" group. But that's just my opinion. There may be others.

 

[lilithu]

Right. Everyone knows liberation theology organically grew out of Native American cultures and had nothing to do with any folks who had a European cultural inheritance and education.

Liberation theology was a reaction against European colonial domination!

 

[lilithu]

I think post-modernism appeals to intellectuals in part because it's a badge of some sort -- intellectuals, at least some of them, use it kind of like a street gang uses it's colors -- as a means of quickly identifying the "in" group and distinguishing between "in" group and "out" group.

Look who's appealing to anti-intellectualism?

But that's just my opinion. There may be others.

How post-modern of you.

 

[Sunstone]

Liberation theology was a reaction against European colonial domination!

Correct. Culturally speaking, it was Euro-American reaction against European colonial domination.

At any rate, we could argue all night and get nowhere.