Which thinker famously defined postmodernism as skepticism toward metanarratives?

French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard introduced that canonical definition in his 1979 work The Postmodern Condition.

What core strategies characterize postmodern aesthetics?

Postmodern works typically feature intertextuality, pastiche, self-reflexivity, playful irony, and the dissolution of high and low cultural boundaries.

How does the Agency editorial critique postmodern corporate culture?

The editorial identifies postmodern corporate practice with hyper-productivity, emotional burnout, and cold technocratic efficiency.

Concept

Postmodernism

What is postmodernism?

Postmodernism is a broad intellectual movement characterized by skepticism toward grand narratives, absolute truths, and universal ideologies. It emphasizes deconstruction, relativity, pluralism, and irony across philosophy, art, and social theory.

In short

Postmodernism emerged in the late twentieth century as a critical reaction against modernism's faith in linear progress and rationalist certainty. It critiques foundational knowledge, destabilizes linguistic hierarchies, and examines power dynamics within cultural institutions. Its concepts deeply influenced media criticism, aesthetic production, and sociology.

Key facts

Which thinker famously defined postmodernism as skepticism toward metanarratives?: French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard introduced that canonical definition in his 1979 work The Postmodern Condition.
What core strategies characterize postmodern aesthetics?: Postmodern works typically feature intertextuality, pastiche, self-reflexivity, playful irony, and the dissolution of high and low cultural boundaries.
How does the Agency editorial critique postmodern corporate culture?: The editorial identifies postmodern corporate practice with hyper-productivity, emotional burnout, and cold technocratic efficiency.

Overview

Postmodernism gained prominence during the mid-to-late twentieth century across philosophy, architecture, literature, and sociology. Thinkers such as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Jean Baudrillard challenged claims of objective knowledge and universal moral systems. They argued that reality is continually mediated through language, signs, and institutional power relations. Consequently, postmodern thought celebrated fragmented narratives, contextual truth, and creative hybridity while discarding deterministic dogmas.

In the Agency editorial

MetaMarketing 1 reviews postmodernism as an efficiency-first era where knowledge turned into mere commodified information. The author notes that its emphasis on unyielding deconstruction culminated in widespread cynicism, organizational apathy, and acute mental fatigue. To counter this legacy, the text insists that contemporary leadership must move beyond postmodern nihilism.

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

MetaMarketing.1 - Time to ESGApril 11, 2023Read the edition

Also from these editions: concepts

Also from these editions: terms

Related terms

Intertextualitynoun: The complex relationship and dialogue between different texts and cultural expressions. It demonstrates how contemporary works constantly reference, adapt, and transform preceding ideas.
Skepticismnoun: An attitude of doubt or critical inquiry regarding claims that lack clear empirical proof. It protects consumers and researchers from accepting deceptive assertions uncritically.

Sources

MetaMarketing.1 - Time to ESG (opens in a new tab), Agency Brasil