What is postmodernism? Is it a problem? The following continues a series of posts explaining postmodernism. It is based on the excellent Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault, by Prof. Stephen Hicks. (Additional support includes 1848: Year of Revolution, by Michael Rapport; Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, by Friedrich Engels.)
Previous posts:
Enlightenment and Darkness
- Intro: The Trouble with Zombies
- Part 1: Truth is Dead
- Part 2: Objectivity is Dead
- Part 3: Hegel’s Dialectic
- Part 4: Staring into the Abyss
- Part 5: Heidegger Knows Nothing
Rousseau’s Revolutionary Politics
- Part 6: Rousseau’s Paradise Lost
- Part 7: Radicalization and Revolution
- Part 8: Fear, Paranoia, Reaction, War, and Betrayal
- Part 9: First Terror
- Part 10: A Farewell to Kings
- Part 11: Civil War
- Part 12: Rousseau’s Paradise Found
Right Collectivism
- Part 13: Napoleonic Stress Disorder
- Part 14: Kant Goes Medieval
- Part 15: Herder’s Volksgeist
- Part 16: Fichte’s School of Nationalism
- Part 17: Hegel – Freedom is Slavery
Left Collectivism
- Part 18: Antichrist
- Part 19: Basic Economics
- Part 20: Labor Pains
- Part 21: Owen’s Heresy
- Part 22: Fourier’s Fairy Tales
- Part 23: Marx and Moses
- Part 24: Communist Manifesto
Erstwhile
Marxist postmodernism seeks to overthrow modernism. Modernism’s political philosophy proposes reason, individualism, liberal democracy, and free markets. Postmodernist philosophy is based on the metaphysical nihilism of (Nazi) Martin Heidegger.
Postmodernism’s radical left politics don’t flow naturally from Heidegger’s subjectivist philosophy. Instead, their politics flow from twentieth century Marxists’ crisis of faith (in the face of undeniable Marxist catastrophe). The postmodernists took refuge in the earlier collectivist Rousseau. Rousseau’s ideas inflamed the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, and culminated in Napoleon’s conquests.
Right Collectivism has roots in the German Counter-Enlightenment (Kant, Herder, Fichte, Hegel). They gave Rousseau a German twist, including hero worship, state worship, totalitarianism, and dialectical history (plus German supremacy).
Karl MarxLeft Collectivism has roots in the German Counter-Enlightenment, romanticism, and early industrial working conditions. Romanticism valued passion, violence, radicalism, and revolution (morality, not so much). Deplorable (“third world”) industrial working conditions were (truly) breeding revolution. The Communists, Marx and Engels, thought this the new normal. Their “scientific socialism” prophesied a Communist destiny. In 1847, the Communist League published their Communist Manifesto.
Revolution was imminent. (It would be a big letdown.)
Revolutions of 1848
In 1848, Europe was swept with revolutions. These were liberal (democratic republican) revolutions. Three major drivers were:
- Hunger,
- Nationalism, and
- Economics
These were not Marxist revolutions. (Marx was impatient and frustrated.)
Europe was dominated by five great powers: Austria, Prussia, Russia, France, and Great Britain. Great Britain was a constitutional monarchy. France had a constitutional monarchy (having exiled Napoleon). These constitutional monarchies denied most people the right to vote.
MetternichThe three other powers (Austria, Prussia, Russia) were absolute monarchies. Russia (a repressive police state) was ruled by Tsar Nicholas I. (He had already put down a reformist uprising). Prussia was ruled by King Frederick William IV. (He had not delivered promised political reforms.) The sprawling Austrian Empire was ruled by (mentally challenged) Emperor Ferdinand I (“Ferdy the Loony”). The power behind the throne was the reactionary Chancellor Metternich.
Hunger
People were hungry. The Potato Famine had killed 1.5 million. Grain harvests had failed. Food prices skyrocketed. There were food riots and hunger marches.
Nationalism
Nationalism was a big driver of the Revolutions of 1848. The Austrian Empire (Austria, Hungary, Italy, German states) was rife with ethnic tensions and surging nationalism. For our purposes, nationalism is not the focus, except for the cases of Germany and Italy.
Economics
Continental Europe lagged in industrialization. Marx’s “scientific socialism” states (as a law of nature) an economic evolution: from agricultural feudalism to petty industry (crafts and trades), then to industrialization (capitalism), then to socialism, then to communism. In this scheme, the British were ripe for revolution. Continental Europe should not be (because they lagged in industrialization).
The British were the most industrialized in Europe. Engels wrote his book about their deplorable working conditions. (This is what Marxism is based on.) Marxism states that capitalism inevitably gives rise to deplorable working conditions that inevitably give rise to revolution (socialism, communism, and so on).
Continental Europe was lagging in industrialization. They were transitioning from petty industry to capitalism. (The prerequisite deplorable working conditions would not yet exist.) Craftsmen and workers would organize and fight over economic concerns (their livelihoods) and social reforms. The Communist Manifesto wouldn’t resonate much. (Marx and the Communists would be frustrated).
Commentary
Marxists were (and are) always an impatient and frustrated lot. They would never be patient enough for their “scientific” prediction to unfold. (If it’s inevitable, what’s the hurry?) When their “scientific” predictions would fail, they’d never question the “science”. They would revise their theories, and remain impatient, frustrated, and faithful. (Then, the self-anointed “political vanguard”, inevitably, tries to give the future a big, hard shove from behind.)
Next
France revolts again. Next: Part 26, French Revolution Redux.
