Sivin Kit has a post about some recent meetings with a couple of slides comparing “Modern” with “Post-Modern.” There are several comparisons of the type may of us had seen before… but nonetheless, this one struck me:
Modern: It’s all about Knowledge & Progress
Post-Modern: It’s really all about Power & Control
I’m interested to hear more of what you think as you’re struck by this comparison.
Ack, Cindy — you just want to make me actually think about it! What I found striking was that I’d heard the power and control sentiments and not really connected it with postmodernism… but it makes sense. Modernity is fairly clearly about knowing, about “progress,” even colonialism. Pomodernity in a lot of ways reacts to this, seeing it as arrogant and power-stricken… the drive for knowledge in modernity is a lot about the desire for power and control, which are two sides of the same coin.
Modernity: “We want to gain knowledge and progress.”
Pomodernity: “That’s just because you feel it gives you the power to be in control.”
Just thinking aloud…