The Postmodern Condition: a Report on Knowledge

1
The Postmodern Conditiona Report on Knowledge

• Scientific v. Narrative Knowledge
• The Changed Status of Knowledge
• Legitimation
• Lyotards Solution

2
Properties of Scientific Knowledge Scientific
Knowledge must be proven. Only denotative
statements are allowed in scientific
knowledge. Scientific knowledge is set apart
from the language games that form the social
bond. Scientific knowledge is either true or
false.
3
Properties of Narrative Knowledge Includes
knowing how to live, how to listen goes beyond a
true or false. Society forms its own criteria
for narrative knowledge. Narrative knowledge
bestows legitimacy on social institutions. Many
language games are allowed -- not just
denotative. Social bond is continually
reinforced through the narrative. Narrative
knowledge provides its own legitimation.
4
Important Changes in the Nature of Scientific
Knowledge
Who owns knowledge and how that changes
power from university government to large
corporations Change in ownership changes the
status of knowledge knowledge is no longer an
end in itself knowledge is now the principle
means of production Change in the status of
knowledge affects society those who possess
knowledge possess power. without knowledge, it
becomes difficult to improve ones
status. knowledge is now the major stake in
world-wide competition Who has the most power
government or large corporations?
5
Legitimation
Early History Scientific knowledge had to
be True Just More Recently Justification
continued via the metanarrative. Marxism TRUTH
Performativity Consensus But the
Metanarrative is DEAD -- so now what do we do?
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Lyotards Proposed Solution Paralogy via the
Small Narrative
We need an abundance of good ideas, small
narratives. No one small narrative will be more
important than another. We must maintain a
constant ir-reverence to all narratives. We must
continually attack existing narratives.
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Possible Problems with Lyotards Solution
Is paralogy itself a metanarrative? Possible
problems in avoiding consensus.
8
Black Square and Red Square by Kazimir
Malevich
"It will be 'white' like one of Malevich's
squares it will enable us to see only by making
it impossible to see it will please only by
causing pain. One recognizes in those
instructions the axioms of avant-gardes in
painting, inasmuch as they devote themselves to
making an allusion to the unpresentable by means
of visible presentations."
Jean-Francois Lyotard
music by John Cage