The Inception of Postmodernism

Introduction

Postmodernism can only be explored and analysed, not defined. It is a way of thinking, rather than a movement, that challenges the notions of authority, convention, representation and truth, among others.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, ‘Postmodernism’ was first used in individual and idiosyncratic contexts. The use of the term has proved to be elastic and elusive in virtually every discipline. As each field takes on different interpretations of the term, meanings have multiplied.

Yet despite its sense of fluidity and open-endedness, Postmodernism is not meaningless and it is possible to identify its trends and characteristics. Thinking of Postmodernism as a dynamic critical category with a range of applications and understandings is the best approach in recognising and comprehending this way of thinking.

Modernism

To understand the origins and nature of Postmodernism, it is best to start thinking about it in terms of Modernism. Modernism is the label given to the literary and philosophical period from roughly 1890 to 1950, which was marked by the belief in progress and Enlightenment. It is important to note that Modernism has a very specific meaning among scholars and theorists of literature. Modernism is to be distinguished from:

  • The ‘modern age’, from the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the Renaissance.
  • The term ‘modern’ itself, which refers to contemporary times. Thus, when something is referred to as postmodern, it is not necessarily a reference to something futuristic, innovative or abstract.

While Modernism rejects old Victorian values and exhibits the desire for truth, progress and rationality, Postmodernism in turn seeks to question, subvert, reject or challenge the ideas of Modernism.

Influence

The inception of Postmodernism in the mid twentieth century has greatly influenced Western culture today in our architecture, art, music and literature. It is frequently accompanied by negative rhetoric such as discontinuity, deconstruction, disruption, dislocation and decentring - all terms with disavowing prefixes highlighting the challenge of (or disapproval of) conventional beliefs and ideas. Postmodernists view the world with an element of uncertainty and constant change and thus allow for multiple perspectives and truths.

A postmodern writer, composer or artist recognises the chaotic, absurd or fragmented view of contemporary society. They often use obvious and self-conscious techniques and disconnected fragments to highlight the notion that no absolute truth or grand narrative exists.