Postmodernist

A postmodernist is a person who adheres to or participates in postmodernism, a broad intellectual and cultural movement that emerged in the mid-20th century as a reaction against modernism. The term is used to describe individuals who advocate or practice postmodernist approaches, though its application varies across disciplines. Postmodernism questions master narratives, grand theories, and absolute truths, emphasizing the relativity of knowledge and skepticism toward universal claims.

In philosophy and theory, postmodernists challenge the idea of objective meaning, proposing that knowledge is contingent, culturally and historically situated. They explore language, representation, and power relations, often employing approaches such as deconstruction and social constructivism. Prominent figures associated with postmodernist thought include Jean-François Lyotard, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, and Fredric Jameson.

In the arts and humanities, postmodernists favor irony, pastiche, bricolage, metafiction, and intertextuality; they cross genres and blend high and low culture. In architecture and design, postmodernist sensibilities often reject uniformity in favor of playful references, complexity, and context. Notable practitioners include architects like Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, as well as writers and filmmakers who employ self-conscious storytelling and intermedial mixing.

Criticism of postmodernism centers on charges of relativism, anti-foundationalism, or political disengagement, while supporters argue it provides useful tools for analyzing media, power, identity, and culture. Debates continue about the legacy and relevance of postmodernist ideas in contemporary thought and practice.