Postmodernism and Its Impact, Explained

Helen Pluckrose outlines some of the arguments later explored in depth in her bestselling 2020 book, Cynical Theories (coauthored with James Lindsay). The essay charts the pernicious influence of postmodernist thinking on two generations of academics and activists. If you want to understand how we got to a place where microaggressions are denounced as violence but the brutal terrorism of an intifada is considered righteous, this is an important primer. Iona Italia reads Helen Pluckrose s essay published in Quillette: 00:00 Introduction to Postmodernism 00:14 Cultural Power of Postmodernism 00:27 Roots and Origins of Postmodernism 01:08 Art and Philosophy Influences 01:23 Rejection of Modernist Ideas 01:51 Critique of Science and Objectivity 02:04 Nihilism and Revolutionary Ethos 02:32 Debate on Modernity vs. PostModernity