postmodernity 

widely debated state or traits exhibited in cultural expressions (architecture, literature, visual arts, etc.) and in social and cultural theory. argued to be the "cultural logic of late capitalism" (Lyotard, 1984) both an extension of and a breaking with modernity, signified by a primacy of the visual, the valorization of form over substance and simulation over authenticity(Baudrillard), the narrativity of science (Lyotard), fragmentation of the liberal subject (Jameson), decentering of (sup/im)-posed systems of meaning in infinite interplay with chains of signifiers (Derrida)

see "Postmodernism for Beginners"

If I'm just now learning about postmodernity, I'm twenty years behind.

postmodernity by c joseph April 26, 2004

postmodernism 

Postmodernism is the ultimate lubricant invented by social sciences in order to fuck every concept and structure that humans ever came up with. At the same time it is used as a means for social sciences to penetrate one another.

Anthropology put some postmodernism on its cock and managed to penetrate History so deep that it screamed...then it turned towards Political Science, which fainted immediately.

postmodernism by tahabgd March 12, 2010

Postmodernism 

The most effective way to kill brain cells. An endeavor mostly pursued by people who hated math in high school. Postmodernism is

"I took a postmodernism class last term. Now half of my brain is rotten"

Postmodernism by BlackSpray May 17, 2015

postmodernism 

A term that you keep on hearing about in college and have to look up on Wikipedia. Basically says "fuck it" to the search for any intellectual conclusions.

Once you look up postmodernism on Wikipedia, feel free to sound smart around your friends by using it in conversations!

postmodernism by rackham March 11, 2009

postmodernism 

Postmodernism has no definition. That's what makes it so postmodern.

This example is postmodernism incarnate.

postmodernism by pabst smear June 12, 2011

postmodernism 

Postmodernism is a cargo cult. It seeks to duplicate the form of rational inquiry, while lacking the substance. It's children dressing up in parents' clothes, and complaining about things they don't understand, like taxes and sciatica, for no better reason than that is what they see adults doing with their time. Monkey see, monkey do.

Postmodernists believe that if they make their terminology sufficiently obscurantist, sesquipedalian, and circumloquatious, nobody will notice the lack of substance. To a large extent, they are correct in that belief.

Some postmodern philosophers (like Baudrillard) are beyond help, while others (like Foucault) are largely salvageable. This must be judged on a case-by-case basis, but not without boots to wade through the exceedingly thick bullshit that permeates the entire idea-space.

When you start getting to ideas such as "science is sexist because it probes the natural world (which is the sacred feminine) against its will, thus committing rape" it's time to throw the document in the fire. It's important to leave a lot of room around the fire, though, as you've probably underestimated how much pomo literature is totally worthless.

Jack: I just learned about postmodernism in college, and now I totally believe in it, and self-identify as such.

Jill: You and every other gullible sophomore looking for an intellectual family where you can't possibly be wrong, you fucking latte-sipping coward.

postmodernism by R0rd_Er337 February 28, 2009

postmodernism 

An ideology based upon the silly idea that metaphors can meaningfully serve as the subject of a transitive verb. Favored by university faculty who have nothing better to do than waste my time.

Colleague: This modality of the social construction of gender can _speak_ causally, but it cannot _think_ causally.

Me: You are wasting my time with this silly postmodernism.

postmodernism by Ludwig Wittgenstein February 9, 2009