Hi Neil,

I actually do believe that we are only at the beginning of the postmodern era.

The critical view that Postmodernism represents has so far only been faintly visible. My view is that it could not be seen through the thick cover of Neoliberalism that lets everyone confuse individualism with egoïsm. But the recent and ongoing wave of Neoliberalism's excesses has maybe opened a gate for postmodernist ideas to crystallize. So far, the promises of the system could only put aside the critics. But I don't want to delve too much into Neoliberalism excesses here, but instead focus on some aspects of Postmodernism as we can see them develop today.

I would like to illustrate my view with another document where we can hear Michel Foucault expressing his views on 'the End of Man' (or 'the Death of Man'. you can hear it here (in French) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTGmnyLvlJY

The 'End of Man' is not what Foucault is wishing. When you hear him speak, you understand that his words are not expressing wishful thinking, but rather a cold analysis of the subject he is dealing with.

His view can be resumed as follows :

- before XIXth century, the idea of Man practically does not exist. It comes to life basically with the revolutions.

- in XIXth century the idea of Man develops with the advent of social sciences.

- in XXth century, Social Sciences lead not to 'the apotheosis of Man' but to the 'End of Man'. This because Social Sciences lead not to the discovery of Man in its truth, but the idea of Man represents rather a series of systems of thought, of formal organizations, on which appear individualities.

With this as basis, I would like to stress again that this does not express his death wishes regarding Man. He seems to express his views later on (around 5:15 in the document) when he says that he would like thought to be used to think about itlself in order to discover more of the unconscious side of what we are actually thinking (rather than thought used strictly to bring a message accross).

In my understanding, he wants a deeper, truer, liberation of Man in its existing individuality - a liberation from the structure and the ideas that shape Man, in its true living individual form.

These ideas were best expressed by Foucault in the 60s - 70s and luckily we have audiovisual documents to let us experience Foucault first hand, and not be left with only the subjective interpretation of the written word. It remains a subjective interpretation but voice and body language (for videos) carry so much more data on meaning and intent.

So which sense does it bring regarding postmodernism today ?

My view is that the new scientific technological developments, in Neuroscience in particular, make me think that it is only now that we can deconstruct and reconstruct the most detailed and in-depth representation of Man in its individual form.

And thus bring to the world the postmodern vision of the idea of Man, outside of the structures around him that force conformism and alienation.

Postmodernism is a complex world view as its thorough critique can be seen as potentially destructive. But it is in my view a very constructive critique that is aimed at freeing each of us - not all of us - of the structural influences (Neolibrealism for example) that seem to be willing to shape us.

In short, my point here is:

Postmodernism is only beginning thanks to : 1. new technological findings that lead to the realization of Postmodernism's true aims and 2. also because the major political, economical, ethical problems at hand with the reigning system of power has fully validated the need for critique that Postmodernism theoritized half a century ago.

I am definitely looking forward to your reactions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTGmnyLvlJY

http://www.stephenhicks.org/2010/07/21/post-modernisms-themes/

I read an unpublished manuscript some years ago that suggested that Postmodernism has existed in every age, represented by the voice for change. Therefore, "modernism" is "we've always done it that way" and post-modernism is "there is a better way." 

In many ways, these definitions sound like conservatism and liberalism, but conservatism aligns well with modernism and liberalism aligns with post-modernism."

Every epoch at its beginning manifests its negation to the previous era and then creates its own values. The prefix "post", that is used so often to identify number current trends suggests that we are at the beginning of Postmodernity.

Article The Postmodern Terms – Postmodernity and Postmodernism