Post Modern Social Theory Essay

In a nutshell, post ultra contemporaryism rose out of the perceived problems and dangers that were brought by the modern era of the world. With nigh parts of the world being under the baffle of modern theoretical perspective like objectivity and scientific inclination, most of the theories that arse be categorized under postmodernism can be delineate as an attack and criticism to the perceived problems of philosophers, sociologist and even artists to the accreditedity that was created by modernism (Kellner, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).Under the banner of postmodernism, we can take in many judgements that had attempted to analyze the modern world using their postmodern spectacles. Among this thinker argon French philosopher and sociologist jean Baudrillard and Zygmunt Bauman who manage to provide a abundant and fertile discussion on the preaching of postmodernism and the cultural and sociological mannikin of the modern world. In this paper, both thinkers shall be put in focus. These two thinkers be so vital and important in the postmodern dissertate that understanding their thoughts and conceits volition enable us to understand more the consideration of postmodernism. denim BaudrillardJust like any postmodernist theorists, the ideas presented by blue jean Baudrillard can be characterized to be an attempt to analyze the modern sociological and cultural framework. In many cases, he managed to provide a discourse through the comparison of modern pragmatic and theoretical outline and pre-modern practical and theoretical arranging (i. e. frameworks during the industrial revolution). A good example that is precise notable is his conception of the regard as constitution. For Baudrillard, the modern world had managed to provide many ways of characterizing nurture. He named at least four shelter systems that can characterize something or some hotshot.The first one is the useful value which is in congenator to the functionality and in strumental use of the object. The second one is the exchange value which is the value of the object in relation to the scotch condition and economic sense of manufacturing it. The third one is the symbolic value which is in relation to the relationship of the object to some separate or group of individual (e. g. diamond ring for marriage proposal). Lastly is the sign value which is the value of an object in a given set or system of objects due to the idea or values that it whitethorn represent (Baudrillard & Levin 132-133). harmonise to Baudrillard, the modern world today with all the products and things that argon being certain be enabling the construction of a refreshed world system that is based on the third and fourth kind of value system. This heart and soul that most of the objects and products today base their values on a glib value system. This is in contrast to the value system of eras like the industrial revolution wherein things and objects argon manufactured and made out of functionality and essence.This arrangement of the modern world that is based on lilliputianity of value is ought to be destructed presently due to the empty bubble that it creates that is not based on rafts needs but quite an to peoples superficial beliefs and desires. An idea also related to the value system is Baudrillards idea on simulacra and simulation. For him, what we give up in the modern world is a system wherein we perceive things that are not really real and necessary. We are this instant living in a world wherein we acknowledge things like holiness, titles, prestigiousness and other categories which do not really exist.It is comparable to a hyper-reality wherein we are living in a world where we acknowledge references without real referents. all overmuch of our activities are contributing to the development of this simulacra. In many cases, we disregard what is real and just fit to live under the influence of this new and election reality. Baudrill ard argues that this is indeed a dangerous system wherein we are living our lives in this new reality and we are living what is truly real to putrefy and be set aside (Baudrillard, 50-51). Indeed, much of Baudrillards philosophies and criticisms are ought to kick in us review and rethink the human condition.With his ideas on superficial value system and simulacrum, we are being forced to open ourselves and think orthogonal what the society taught us to be. We are being taught by Baudrillard to perceive and see things as it is for us learn more in the real world. Zygmunt Bauman together with Baudrillard, Bauman, a Polish sociologist had also provided a fertile cause in the discourse in modernity, culture and consumerism. Just like other postmodernist thinkers, Bauman had offered a picture of the modern arrangement of the modern world.He argued that what we have now is a society which preferred individual freedom rather than collective security. Prior to this system is an arrange ment wherein individuals highly regards its power over nature, efficiency, hierarchy, rules and regulation. This is aimed to make our world safer and more secure. For Bauman, this is the characterization of the solid modernity. However, people had observed that despite these constructive efforts to institute peace, security and stability there are groups that cannot just be really controlled.This groups or individuals which cannot be controlled shall be referred as strangers. As a result, this solid phase angle of modernity will afterwards transform to a liquid form of modernity. In this new form of modernity, what are more important are the individual pursuit and the new level of freedom. However, this new sets of characteristics are made possible at the write down of concepts like security (Bauman, Postmodernity and its Discontents, 130). In this new type of modernity, numerous problems are arising. Primarily, the classic institutions like school, government and even laws ar e now losing its clutch bag to the people.The task of finding ones individual path is left hand to the people. People are forced to decide for their own goals and actions which often bring confusion and disarray. The strangers mentioned earlier in the first part of the discussion are also experiencing problems. Bauman for example relates these theoretical strangers to the Jews in the magazine of the Holocaust. He argued that though societies are being enticed with the spontaneity and actions of the strangers, they are at the same time afraid of them because no one knows what they will do next. In this sense, the Jews are the strangers of Europe.The Holocaust is the result of the fear to these Jews that is made possible with the fertile ground provided by this new kind of modernity (Bauman, Intimations of postmodernity, 94). Conclusion One cannot resist the historical pattern of societal system that exists in our world. As one societal arrangement managed to rise and exist, a new one will come to arise out of its shortcomings and mistakes. As the modern society managed to successfully challenged earlier system such as feudalism, postmodernism is also a response for the shortcomings of modernity.Then again, we can always argue that postmodernism will improve the live that we have. Though we gain much from the modern system, we also lose much. The ideas of postmodernism are an attempt to repair our society and to reestablish or regain those functional characteristics that were dropped or erased because of our shift to modernism. Though some people can and may argue against this, one thing is for sure, the ideas of postmodernism are giving us a shot for a chance to improve our lives. Works Cited Aylesworth, Gary. Postmodernism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2005Baudrillard, Jean & Levin, Charles. For a critique of the political economy of the sign. Telos Press, 1981 Baudrillard, Jean. Symbolic Exchange and Death. capital of the United Kingdom Sage, 1976/ 1993 Bauman, Zygmunt. Does Ethics have a Chance in a orbit of Consumes. Harvard University Press, 2009 Bauman, Zygmunt. Intimations of Postmodernity. London Routledge, 1992 Bauman, Zygmunt. Post Modernity and its Discontents. New York University Press, 1997 Kellner, Douglas. Jean Baudrillard. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007 Klages, Mary. Postmodernism. University of Colorado, 2003