The mid-1960s showed on the radical side a
loss of faith in the possibility of overthrowing the capitalist system, of
overthrowing the State, defeating imperialism and liberation of nations with
gun in hand. The spirit of the time is further characterized by the rise of
finite mathematics over analysis, the rise of digital technology over analogue
electronics, and the abandonment of macro-economics for micro-economics in the
mid-1960s Post-Structuralism, though highly theoretical was in fact
influenced by all kind of arts through it's links with postmodernism.
STRUCTURALISM (a systematic approach to life) Structuralism is an approach to linguistics, developed by Ferdinand de Saussure and
applied by Claude Levi-Strauss to sociology. It florished in France, and
later in America, between the 1950s and 1970s. It analyses meaning, generally
in literary texts but also in other cultural products, by paying attention to
underlying systems and structures. The approach supposes that underneath all
particular instances of writing, of social relations and of culture, lie some
basic, unifying factors, some universal structures.
(a way of life in the 20th century) Modernism is generally said to have been followed by postmodernism,
since approximately the 1960s. Postmodernism is a much-used term that
refers to both cultural and creative behavior: architecture, literature,
photography, film, dance, music as well as art. Think of the music of John
Cage and the art of Andy Warhol. Postmodernism aggressively
criticized traditional (modern) culture, theory, and politics It also refers to
a general condition within Western mass culture in the period 1970-1980, so it
can be seen in many different ways. Postmodernism can be seen as a
rejection of the normative approach of modernism. In Christian church
generally the pre-modern period is considered the period between 400 with The
confessions of St. Augustine. and about 1300 with St. Thomas Aquina's
Summa Theologica. The modern period in this way is between 1451 with Gutenberg's
Print Press and 1950 the Hierarchy of Needs of with Mazlow. Postmodern
runs from Nietzsche's supposed Nihilism via Foucault to someone
like Derrida.
POST-STRUCTURALISME (a bunch of theories) Post-structuralism is not a theory as such. Closely
related to postmodernism and often called that way it might be seen as
the theoretical side of postmodern culture. It can be seen as a
postmodern viewpoint or as a philosophy which developed out of questioning structuralism.
But more than being a negative vision on the world it showed original ideas
through for instance Foucault, Derrida and Levinas. Often
the names Nietzsche, Heidegger, Derrida, Rorty, Lyotard, Baudrillard,
Deleuze and Guattari are mentioned. Foucault said in his post-structuralist
period that historians should leave the idea that their primary task is looking
for the truth behind things, but should instead simply describe things
themselves (just like postmodernism rejecting the normative approach and
chosing for a descriptive). Later Foucault outgrew Post-structuralism
influenced by mainly the work of Nietzsche and Bataille.
Post-structuralists were looking for truth in the social practice of a
culture, but saw culture in itself as static
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Postmodernism or Post Structuralism