Lyotard Edt

Jean-François Lyotard (1924 - 1998)

French philosopher Literary theorist Critic of structuralism, who presented major themes of postmodernism Major work The Postmodern Condition, a report on knowledge (1979)

Theory about the status of knowledge 

The status of knowledge altered in post industrial societies in postmodern age, due to

1.Technological transformations in human circulation 2. Proliferation of informational machines 

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The media creating circulation of visual images converted the reality into unpredictable events Knowledge is an informational commodity, producers & consumers, compartmentalization of knowledge is dissolution of epistemic coherence resulting into the ‘loss of meaning’

• The concept of sublime is changed; an equation between wealth, efficiency & truth; the important questions now are: “Is it salable? Is it efficient?” • Knowledge has become the principle force of production in the composition of the work force & the major bottleneck for the developing countries, the states will fight for control of information • The economic powers are challenging the sovereignty & stability of the state through Multi-national Corporation; investment decisions have passed beyond the control of the nation-states

Narrative & the Scientific Knowledge • Narrative knowledge (in the form of metanarratives) is prevalent without legitimation (due to hegemony of power structures), the science questions its legitimacy, but what legitimates science itself? • The technology & capitalism - have changed knowledge into a technological model; in a cybernetic society, knowledge is measured by performativity; if it effectively minimizes the inputs and maximizes the outputs

Bankruptcy of Meta-narratives  Meta-narrative,

an overarching story that gives rationale and legitimacy to a particular worldview or value system, they are created and reinforced by power structures of cultural imperialism  'Meta-narratives' ignore the heterogeneity or variety of human existence & embody unacceptable views of Enlightenment, Development & Progress

capital & post-industrial culture, characterized by diversity, hybridism & heterogeneity • Incompatibility of meta-narratives that are false totalizing patterns, because reality is not single, consistent or self evident true • Micro-narratives (smaller scale issues) are workable, Postmodernism is a war on

The Postmodern Condition  Science & Religion failed to explain reality  Powers of reason questioned  Knowledge based on non-rational sources: Sensations, subjectivism and objectivism, Paralogy required to legitimate knowledge  Modernity: metanarrative legitimation  Postmodernity: metanarratives bankrupt “I define postmodern as incredulity toward meta-narratives,”