Postmodernism Key Words part 3

Metanarrative - is a special type of discourse (statement) that exists in the modern age(modernism), striving to confirm itself as a true and lawfully the only one. By this term Jean-François Lyotard called all those "explanatory systems" which, in his opinion, organize bourgeois society and serve for it: science, psychology, art, religion (in other words, any "knowledge"). According to Lyotard, it is possible to speak of "postmodernism" as" a mistrust of metanarratives", disappointment in them.

Teleology - religious and philosophical teaching of the existence in nature and society of objective goals and practicability. In other words, we act as if nature has some kind of purpose(goal), although we know perfectly well that we can never prove this, and even if we believe that this is not the case at all. It sets itself the task of answering the question "why, for what purpose?". The term teleology appeared in the philosophy of C. Wolf half a century before the development of I. Kant. However, the basics of teleology existed far back in antiquity.

Essentialism -  Essentialism is a theoretical and philosophical belief that ascribes to something an unchanging set of qualities and properties, "a concept that supposes that things have some deep reality, true nature, that cannot be seen directly,  but is very important to us".

Utopian – unrealizable dreams, aspirations, ambitions to build unattainable, ideal, social systems, ideal relationships between people.

Axiomatic – knowingly true statement, accepted without evidence.

Dystopian - is the opposite of a utopia, forced "idealization" of society. If Utopia itself is perceived as a world that is impossible because of its ideality and purity, then Dystopia shows a world that is quite real. a huge mechanism that will make the world of future generations unbearable and unsuitable for a happy life.

Scepticism - the most characteristic feature of all ancient philosophy, a school of thought, whose representatives did not put forward any positive teachings of peace and man, and did not affirm or claim the possibility of true knowledge, but refrained from definitive judgment about all this. ”The world is fluid, it has no meaning and clear certainty”. Every statement is at the same time a negation, every "yes" is at the same time a "no", the true philosophy of skepticism is – silence.

Philosophical – containing any deep idea, ideological conception.

Relativism - subjectivism in the interpretation of moral concepts and judgments, a denial of any objective content in them. Relativists see only that the moral principles, the concepts of ”good” and ”evil” are different for different peoples, social groups and individuals.

Pluralism(Postmodernism) - the relativization(refusal to give anything absolute value) of aesthetic values, forms and styles, and the conviction that eventually no artistic position can take the dominant position in comparison with another position. Refusal of canons and authorities, free and at the same time ironic attitude to the classics and traditions.