The “hermeneutic turn” of the fundamental concepts in the discourses and narratives of postmodernism

Abstract

The “ultimate” concepts representing complicated and manifold interrelations prove a supposition that postmodernism with its pluralism and antifundamentalism falls behind the ever-increasing transformation of postmodernity. In the “postmodern conditions” the incommensurability of meanings which in postmodern relations leads to the meanings interpretation problem and concepts arises. In the postmodern “world picture” the interpretation has become the way by means of which individuals construe concepts, trying to find a middle position “between” the absolute and the relative in the postmodern rejection of dichotomies and binary oppositions. Hence, the definition of the “Hermeneutic Turn” as a certain key to the postmodern mutation of the ideas, absolutes and concepts is highlighted in this article. Hermeneutics with its denial of absolute certainty and praise of moral flexibility contributes into interpretation which tends to dominate in different contexts and situations. There are no absolutes, no “Big Other”, nothing can be guaranteed. Solutions are results of interpretations against the context and speech situations background. The universal character of Kant’s moral laws loses its validity, and “high” culture becomes more and more exclusive. Moreover, pop-culture is operating with the narratives of the “high” culture though using other discourses due to its secondary nature. We can say that besides the hermeneutic model of culture representation there is at least one more fundamental model, that is of essence and appearance with a whole set of ideological concepts. The ideology becomes of paramount importance attaching universal concepts with hard criticism. Consumerism as an extreme manifestation of utilitarism represents proofs of Z. Bauman’s ideas about the “liquid modernity’s” obsession with markets and consumers. Both market culture and consumerism comprise “infernal machine”, a trap, from which an escape is impossible. The postmodern condition supposes that the belief in the fundamental concepts represents Utopian thinking, but the “Project of Man” is considered impossible without values systems, ideals and absolutes which have been contributed to the western culture for centuries. It is impossible without the Utopian “Spirit” of the moral law which is, according to Kant, within our souls.