Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a broad movement across philosophy, arts, and culture that emerged in the mid- to late 20th century as a reaction to modernism. It questions grand narratives, universal truths, and the idea of progress, and it embraces ambiguity, plurality, and self-reflexivity.

In philosophy and theory, postmodernism challenges objective knowledge and stable meaning. Influential figures include Jean-François Lyotard (incredulity toward metanarratives), Jacques Derrida (deconstruction), and Michel Foucault (power-knowledge). It emphasizes language, discourse, and cultural construction, often foregrounding margins and the politics of representation. Baudrillard’s simulacra and hyperreality describe a world of signs detached from reality.

In the arts, postmodern approaches foreground intertextuality, pastiche, irony, and fragmentation. Works often mix styles, references, and genres, question originality, and invite multiple interpretations. In architecture, postmodern design reintroduced ornament, historical quotation, and plural forms in contrast to modernist minimalism. In literature and cinema, metafiction and self-reflexivity invite readers and viewers to recognize the act of storytelling.

The movement is characterized by pluralism and resistance to singular meaning, with a tendency toward critique of consumer culture, media saturation, and social power structures. It remains a diverse label applied to philosophy, art, architecture, literature, film, and popular culture, with ongoing debates about its coherence and legacy.