Postmodern Pluralism





Postmodern Pluralism

Introduction

The chapter “Postmodern Pluralism: Art destabilizes the good, the true, the beautiful, and the self” is written by Terry Beckett. This is the fifth chapter in the book “Why is that art? Aesthetics and criticism of contemporary”. Beckett says that postmodernism is a concept which proposes that ambiguity cannot be avoided and that we can never reach to the actual meanings of the words. Words contradict each other. Beckett has stated that this chapter is intended to define what is postmodernism and its link to structuralism and deconstructionism. This chapter further investigates that to what extent the modern art is affected by Postmodernism. This chapter seeks to know that how postmodernism is interpreted in art. Finally this chapter explains that art should not be always about beauty. Instead, it should reflect the artists' interpretation of the world.

Discussion

In the beginning of the chapter the writer has quoted a philosopher who has asserted that the postmodern era is unclear. Postmodernism was in rebellion to scientific thinking (Prutow, 1997). Postmodernism theory explains that art depicts the things in powerful manner and that it has the ability to express things around us and within our society. It depicts those ideas which we only think about and are unable to express them. Then Beckett has explained that the postmodernists' writings are not accepted by the Anglo American because they believe in the clarity of text. Anglo Americans reject them by saying that they are ambiguous and they do not explain the meanings of things with clarity. Instead they make the meanings more elusive and ambiguous. On the other hand, postmodernist writers are contended with the lack of clarity within the text. Beckett calls the attention of the readers towards the usage of the word 'concept'. She further says that postmodernism says that art and aesthetics go hand in hand in society. Arthur Danto says that philosophy has remained unaffected by deconstructionists' theories. He says that philosophy believes in questioning about the common held believes to reach the truth. However, deconstructionist says that every word has a meaning and that it stands for something. But words can contradict each other. Due to which the meaning intended by the artist is never understood completely. Philosophers think that postmodernist' and deconstructionist writings do not leave immense impact on the readers.

Later Beckett says that, 'Schopenhauer sees 'disinterestedness' and lack of will as essential to aesthetic ...