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Stephen R. C. Hicks

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Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault Paperback – August 1, 2004

by Stephen R.C. Hicks (Author)

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Tracing postmodernism from its roots in Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant to their development in thinkers such as Michel Foucault and Richard Rorty, philosopher Stephen Hicks provides a provocative account of why postmodernism has been the most vigorous intellectual movement of the late 20th century. Why do skeptical and relativistic arguments have such power in the contemporary intellectual world? Why do they have that power in the humanities but not in the sciences? Why has a significant portion of the political Left - the same Left that traditionally promoted reason, science, equality for all, and optimism - now switched to themes of anti-reason, anti-science, double standards, and cynicism? Explaining Postmodernism is intellectual history with a polemical twist, providing fresh insights into the debates underlying the furor over political correctness, multiculturalism, and the future of liberal democracy.

Print length

230 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Scholargy Publishing, Inc.
Publication date

August 1, 2004
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.25 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1592476422
ISBN-13

978-1592476428
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Editorial Reviews

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"By the end of the book, the reader may remain ill at ease with the postmodernist malaise, but Hicks's lucid account will demystify the subject. Hicks's impressive grasp of the history of philosophy over the past few centuries enables to explain postmodernism by identifying its signposts. He lets sensitive analysis of the memorable episodes of postmodernism speak to the essential issues that drive it. His treatment of the importance of Kant s skepticism in getting the postmodernist engine going down the track is especially instructive." --Professor Curtis Hancock, Review of Metaphysics (December 2005)

"Readers of Explaining Postmodernism will find much to reflect upon and engage with in the pages of this lucid study of the background, themes, and consequences of postmodernist thought and practice. With clarity, concision, and an engaging style, Hicks exposes the historical roots and philosophical assumptions of the postmodernist phenomenon. More than that, he raises key questions about the legacy of postmodernism and its implications for our intellectual attitudes and cultural life." --Professor Steven Sanders, Reason Papers (Spring 2006)

"Stephen Hicks has written a trenchant and provocative book on a vital topic. ... Though I have at times disagreed with Hicks, he has an excellent eye for essential issues and his views always repay careful consideration." --Dr. David Gordon, The Mises Review (Fall 2005)

About the Author

Stephen Hicks is a Professor of Philosophy at Rockford College, Illinois. A native of Toronto, Canada, he received his Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington. He has been a visiting professor at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., a visiting scholar at the social Philosophy and Policy Center in Bowling Green, Ohio, and a senior fellow at the Objectivist Center in New York. He is co-editor of Readings for Logical Analysis (W.W. Norton & Co.) and has published widely in academic journals and other publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Baltimore Sun.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholargy Publishing, Inc.; First Edition (August 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1592476422
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1592476428
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.25 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,511,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,542 in Modern Western Philosophy
- #41,304 in Higher & Continuing Education
- #116,989 in World History (Books)

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Stephen R. C. Hicks

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Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks (born 1960) is professor of philosophy at Rockford University, where he is also Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship. He is the author of *Nietzsche and the Nazis* (Ockham's Razor, 2006, 2010), *Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault* (Scholargy Publishing, 2004), and co-editor of *The Art of Reasoning: Readings for Logical Analysis* (W. W. Norton & Co., 1998). Hicks earned a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1991 and his B.A. (Honours) from the University of Guelph, Canada in 1981.

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4.6 out of 5

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Bob Lewis

Poorly-titled, but required reading

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2019

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I knew going in that this book would not be friendly to postmodernism, but given the title, I expected it to be a detailed analysis and critique of postmodern thought. It is not. While it does contain an overview of postmodernism, it is much more a philosophical history of how postmodernism came to be. That is, rather than "Explaining Postmodernism," Hicks explains the history of postmodernism. In that regard, I was initially disappointed that the book didn't offer what I was expecting.

However, what the book did offer was a sobering look at the history of postmodern thought which finally clarifies the link between postmodern philosophy and far-left politics in a way that I wish I had understood years ago. By the time I finished reading the book, my initial disappointment at the books historical rather than critical approach had faded, as it became abundantly clear that the book I thought I was going to read would be impossible: one cannot actually explain postmodern thought because postmodern thought is internally inconsistent and structured to meet political ends rather than in the pursuit of academic truth.

At times, it can be a bit difficult to determine the book's target audience. Hicks oscillates between casual/conversational English and a semi-academic tone, and belabors some points while occasionally assuming a greater depth of knowledge on the part of the reader than most laypeople are likely to possess. These minor failings don't detract from the work as an eye-opening expose of an intellectual movement, however, but the reader should be aware that Explaining Postmodernism is far too short a book to fully explain all of the topics it covers and should be treated as an introductory text that should hopefully guide some further reading.

This edition has been expanded with two additional essays, one discussing postmodern attacks on free speech and one providing a brief history of modern and postmodern art. The former, while I think the author's analysis is very close to completely correct, did not particularly elucidate the book's main theses. I think it's a worthwhile essay to read, but it might better have been read as a stand-alone essay, leaving those extra pages in the book for slightly more detail in the book's main analysis. The latter essay, however, is particularly thought-provoking. Hicks does an admirable job of condensing a significant period of art's history into a few pages and explaining "why art became ugly." I think the brevity of his analysis resulted in a slight disservice being done to the experimentation of modern art, but his biting criticism of postmodern art ends with a refreshing charge for up and coming artists to pioneer a new movement in art rejecting the universal nihilism of postmodernism.

If you've ever wondered why so much seems to be going so wrong in academia (or in art!), this book makes an excellent first stop. I think it should be considered required reading for anyone who wishes to engage in public debate in the early 21st century.

23 people found this helpful

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Tee

Excellent (with one caveat)

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2023

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Both the content and clarity are excellent. I filled in so many gaps regarding philosophy and history along the way. Indeed, the title is modest; the scope is broader than postmodernism. I would characterize it more as a synthesis of western intellectual thought. Remarkably, even with that breadth and depth, it is still highly readable.

The caveat: the content is, for the most part, presented impartially. There are points along the way, however, where his bias shows. The nuance of postmodernism is lost in the portrayal of its ideas.

For example, he suggests that the postmodernism view of science is “suspicious, tending toward outright hostility”. Really? He leaves it at that and moves on - but I’m sure much more could be said to elaborate and qualify that characterization.

I don’t think the occasional bias is a fatal flaw, though. The synthesis across religion, culture, economics, and politics is impressive. The organization and quality of writing make a dense topic approachable. In sum, it’s a great read.

7 people found this helpful

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F. Carr

UNMASKING POSTMODERNISM

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2006

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This book isn't an introduction to postmodernism (PM). There are several introductions to PM on Amazon if that's what you want. Rather, its task could be described as turning some of the techniques of academic PM on its founders - Foucault, Derrida, Lyotard, & Co. The title could have been "Unmasking Postmodernism" because Hicks does so with devastating effect.

I have read several hundred books on philosophy from Plato to the present and I cannot think of one that I consider to have been more clearly written than this. The exposition is admirably jargon-free and straightforward, although some terms might be unfamiliar to some folks. This is the only book in many years that I began re-reading and marking up as soon as I had finished reading it the first time - I think it's that good.

It's important to distinguish between PM in the arts, which is largely an aesthetic trend, and academic PM, which exists almost exclusively in some humanities departments in the universities and identifies with particular epistemological and linguistic assumptions. This book is concerned with the latter group and Hicks provides a well documented case for the following historical sequence:

1) Leftist socialists had traditionally believed that reason and facts would show the superiority of socialism - theoretically, morally, and economically.

2) Academic PM's creators were all leftist socialists around the time that leftist socialism was failing - theoretically, morally, and economically (1950s on).

3) The reaction of leftist academic socialists to this wasn't to accept that they had been wrong. Instead, they availed themselves of recent developments in epistemology and linguistics as a pretext for dismissing reason and facts.

4) They then proceeded to impose leftist socialism on students from behind this mask.

This reaction parallels the Counter Enlightenment movements beginning over 200 years ago that were trying to save room for faith against the advance of science.

I was particularly interested to see Hicks point out the similarities between the tactics of creationists (anti-evolutionists) and PMs. I've been engaged in a running debate in print with a group of creationists for over a year and the similarities are striking and revealing. Academic PM definitely has a cult aspect to it; the movie "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" comes to mind. American philosopher John Searle once remarked that French PM philosopher Jacques Derrida's work is the kind of stuff that gives bulls**t a bad name.

Some people will say that Hicks is a Randist and that he's merely criticizing PM from that perspective without understanding it. That's a knee-jerk PM tactic - if you disagree with us, you don't understand us. I'm not a Randist, nor am I particularly sympathetic to Rand, yet I didn't feel a Randist presence in the text other than to the extent that Randists still think reason has value and that all opinions are not created equal.

Hicks ends appropriately by telling us that because the Enlightenment project remains unfinished the PMs will be able to carry on as though that project has failed. It could be that the final refutation of academic PM will entail a significant advance in the completion of the Enlightenment project, although it will almost certainly be an updated conception of that project.

There is a lot more value in this book than what I'm reporting here, including a wonderfully illuminating account of the philosophical trends that led to PM and an inventory of the rhetorical tactics used by PMs, so I strongly recommend getting it in your hands ASAP.

161 people found this helpful

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Efraín Ocampo

Excelente libro

Reviewed in Mexico on December 26, 2023

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Abarca demasiada información, pero precisamente me gustó que el autor logra sintetizar tanto y explicar conceptos tan densos de manera puntual y entendible.

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Glen Leis

A great read, provides perspective on today's world

Reviewed in Canada on February 16, 2021

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This book created a framework for me at least to understand the mindset and objectives of today's post-modernist progressives. To me logic and reason is just thinking; I would assume that this is how all others grapple with issues, I have learned that this is not the case. In fact, logic and reason is often viewed as 'oppressive'. Read this book and you will understand why we see so many perspectives and policy stances that seem to ignore the facts and details that I for one deem as important. It is a challenging read, but one that is worth while. Well done Pr. Hicks!

One person found this helpful

Mr. G. Lawrence

We Are in the Grip of a Creeping Totalitarianism...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2021

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...and its roots go back a long way. I doubt it is possible to write a better book which more comprehensively understands and explains the current cultural insanity in Western societies - starting with the universities but spreading among corporations and institutions. (This "cultural insanity" is a combination of post-modernism, radical feminism, and neo-Marxism realising it had to "remodel" itself after the collapse of communism by way of attacking logic itself, and reason, and attaching itself to "identity politics" with its psychology of oppression and victimhood.) This book, brilliantly and clearly, explains the thinking processes, starting all the way back with Rousseau and Kant, and the political and historical processes, from Marx to past the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's clear that the truth of the situation is that capitalism is a massive success - despite its shortcomings and need for constant accountability and reform - and that women and people of all races have far better opportunities than they have ever had in history; and the only way you can deny the validity of the data is by deciding you have to attack validity itself, and start making wild claims, e.g. black right-wing intellectuals are "multiculturally white". You obviously need to tread on free speech, if you want to occupy the moral high ground while condemning the opinions of others by saying they should not even have a platform. You need to cultivate the paranoia which leads you to detect racism everywhere, rather than in a few, and fewer, places. And you need to condemn radicalism on the right while cultivating radicalism on the left - rather than being sane and condemning the Black Lives Matter movement for believing in tearing down society, as well as the "Proud Boys" for being bigoted idiots. Then, like in Orwell's 1984, doublethink becomes the norm - or as we sane people would sometimes refer to it, hypocrisy, e.g. the co-founder of BLM, a self-declared anticapitalist Marxist, now using donations to BLM to build up her own personal real estate assets. What becomes the norm after that? They get enough power to set up their own militant pseudo-police and they start coming for you in the night and sending you off to "re-education camps". And if you want to properly understand how it all started and how it works, read this book before they decide it should be banned in the interests of political correctness. And the next time somebody tries preaching to you about diversity and inclusivity and equity, ask them how many Conservative professors they have in their college or university.

9 people found this helpful

Sycorax

Uma jornada intelectual brilhante

Reviewed in Brazil on March 26, 2020

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A primeira edição deste livro já era muito boa. Esta nova versão estendida ficou ainda melhor porque acrescenta dois novos ensaios inéditos: "Free Speech & Postmodernism" e (o meu favorito) "From Modern to Postmodern Art: Why Art Became Ugly". Como um todo, o livro é brilhante e investiga a fundo a origem remota das principais ideias que animam os acalorados debates de hoje em dia. O pós-modernismo e a pós-modernidade são explicados de uma maneira original, desbancando, de certa forma, as antigas teorias como as de Fredric Jameson ("Pós-modernismo ou a Lógica Cultural do Capitalismo Tardio"). No livro do professor Stephen Hicks, a lógica cultural do pós-modernismo tem origem em Kant, nos movimentos contra-Iluministas e daí por diante. Dessa forma, trazem um frescor para a discussão. Trata-se de uma longa jornada intelectual, que Hicks empreende com coragem e lucidez. Uma leitura bastante prazerosa, cujo ápice se dá no novo capítulo final ("From Modern to Postmodern Art: Why Art Became Ugly") no qual o professor investiga as principais características dos produtos culturais pós-modernistas e questiona a razão pela qual todos parecem girar sempre em torno dos mesmos temas e, esteticamente, investirem invariavelmente na "feiúra", no mau gosto e, sobretudo, na capacidade de chocar.

5 people found this helpful

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Alejandro B.

Good book. Enjoyed it very much

Reviewed in Spain on August 17, 2019

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Good book, well explained.

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Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault Paperback – August 1, 2004

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