Grand Paradigms

Completely contrasting the classical paradigm which described a clear purpose of life and placed god (or gods at the top of  the hierarchy of importance and power. The postmodern paradigm removes the connections to god and fate from our perception of the world. The uncertainty and ambiguity that are the basis of the thinking of this paradigm is simultaneously freeing and horrifically daunting: for many, the idea that their life is not predetermined or constantly judged by a greater force is liberating, to others, amputating the idea that we all hold divine duty within the bigger picture makes them feel lost. The postmodern paradigm rejects the idea that we are capable of producing objective knowledge. It is interesting to contemplate when, or why the postmodern paradigm will begin to collapse, and some suggest it’s already in the process of. The term coined a ‘fake news’ highlights a major issue currently experienced worldwide: with such a large flow in of information, we often cannot determine what is true and what is not. With such a large outpour of incorrect information it is not uncommon for people’s conclusions to be made of incorrect premise. To make matters worse, we have become aware of the increase in fake news leaving us sometimes in situations of radical uncertainty. In these instances where our theories and personal experiences cannot even guide us (as we don’t know which fact or alternative fact to believe or not believe), we do nothing. A clear example of this phenomenon is the climate change crisis, where many don’t know what to do or who to believe, so they make no change.

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One thought on “Grand Paradigms

  1. Thanks Sophie. Your phrase “simultaneously freeing and horrifically daunting” is a memorable one; and I think what the existentialists were trying to get at when they said we were ‘condemned to be free’

    The idea that the post-modern paradigm is already cracking is interesting. The whole ‘fake news; thing from Trump seems to be postmodern; but then we asserts he also has the truth all the time.

    I think you are right that not having a paradigm to act within is sufficiently debilitating that it can prevent action. Unfortunately, narrow-minded certainly is often a bigger spur to action than open-minded questionning.

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