Level 43
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Contemporary Philosophy

Postmodernism and Poststructuralism

The late twentieth-century critique of grand narratives, stable meaning, and totalizing systems that reshaped continental philosophy and cultural theory from the 1960s onward.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Structuralism and Its Discontents: From Saussure to Poststructuralism. Saussure's linguistics birthed structuralism, which poststructuralism then destabilized from within.
  2. Foucault on Power, Knowledge, and Discourse. Foucault traced how power and knowledge jointly produce discourse, discipline, and modern subjects.
  3. Derrida and the Strategy of Deconstruction. Derrida's deconstruction exposes how Western philosophy's binary oppositions undermine themselves.
  4. Lyotard and the Postmodern Condition's Incredulity toward Metanarratives. Lyotard defined the postmodern as incredulity toward grand, totalizing metanarratives.
  5. Baudrillard, Simulacra, and Hyperreality. Baudrillard argued that signs and simulations increasingly precede and replace reality itself.
  6. Deleuze and Guattari: Difference, Rhizome, and Desire. Deleuze and Guattari opposed rigid hierarchy with the rhizome and productive desiring-machines.
  7. Postmodern Feminism and the Critique of Universal Subjects. Postmodern feminists questioned any single, universal, pre-discursive category of "woman."
  8. Debates over Postmodernism's Legacy in Contemporary Thought. Postmodernism's legacy remains sharply contested, from the Sokal hoax to Habermas's critique.

This module continues after "Pragmatism: Peirce, James, and Dewey" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Structuralism and Its Discontents: From Saussure to Poststructuralism
2Derrida and the Strategy of Deconstruction
3Baudrillard, Simulacra, and Hyperreality
4Deleuze and Guattari: Difference, Rhizome, and Desire
5Debates over Postmodernism's Legacy in Contemporary Thought

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

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Approximate breakdown by skill
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A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Foucault, M. (1975). Surveiller et Punir: Naissance de la prison. Paris: Gallimard. (English trans. Discipline and Punish, 1977, New York: Vintage Books.)
  • Derrida, J. (1967). De la Grammatologie. Paris: Éditions de Minuit. (English trans. Of Grammatology, 1976, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.)
  • Lyotard, J.-F. (1979). La Condition postmoderne: Rapport sur le savoir. Paris: Éditions de Minuit. (English trans. The Postmodern Condition, 1984, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.)
  • Baudrillard, J. (1981). Simulacres et Simulation. Paris: Éditions Galilée. (English trans. Simulacra and Simulation, 1994, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.)
  • Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (1980). Mille Plateaux: Capitalisme et schizophrénie 2. Paris: Éditions de Minuit. (English trans. A Thousand Plateaus, 1987, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.)
  • Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.