Today, we live in a modern world. This modern life has brought us so many good things and comfortable luxuries. We live a highly sophisticated and enjoyable life where we don’t even need to walk much—we go everywhere by car, stay in air-conditioned (AC) rooms, and take the lift instead of climbing stairs. Even if we feel a bit of pain in our body, we can immediately take a painkiller and control it.
All this technology has evolved thanks to modern thoughts. Everything we need—the food we eat, the places we stay, our entertainment, sports, and medicine—has been carefully designed to give us maximum comfort. However, there is a catch: all of this is centered around capitalist principles (Capitalism).
We must absolutely appreciate human labor and our capacity to think. There is no second opinion about that, because the world we live in today was built by humans. A scientist discovers something, someone else manufactures it, another person distributes it, and we work hard, earn money, and buy it.
The Market and Centralized Power
But here is the twist. Even before a scientist starts thinking or researching a new idea, capitalists look at how many people will actually buy it and whether a market exists for it. Only if there is a market will they expand that research; otherwise, they will drop it right there. This is the core business foundation of capitalism. In some cases, they will first manufacture a product and then create a market for it themselves. This race to capture the market is what rules the entire world.
For example, why isn't there a cure discovered for certain rare diseases that affect only about a hundred people in the world? Because researching and developing that medicine would cost millions, but if only a hundred people are going to buy it, the owners won’t make a profit. So, they simply won't manufacture it.
It is during this race to capture the market that a "center" (a power center) is born. What does this center do? It accumulates power in one place and exercises authority from the top down to keep everyone under control. They create a "meta-narrative"—a universal, dominant story or idea—and impose it on the public to prompt them to buy a product or act in a certain way. In short, Modernism is all about concentrating power in one place to control the market and maximize profit. And this "center" is a major danger brought by modernism.
What is Post-Modernism?
Post-modernism is the act of dismantling this centralized authority. Now, a question arises: can a single individual destroy such a massive system of capitalism and power centers?
You shouldn't think that the "center" exists only within a government or a massive corporation. The center exists all around you; in fact, you yourself might be a center! Post-modern philosophers suggest that you cannot completely destroy the center, but you must constantly change, shift, or deconstruct it.
A Simple Example: Suppose your father makes all the decisions in your house; that is a "center." Later in life, when you grow up and that control naturally comes to your hands, instead of making all the decisions yourself, you include your mother and your wife in the decision-making process. By doing this, you are breaking that traditional center and making things inclusive.
The Bottom Line: Post-modernism is not a theory that tells you how to think. It is a way of life that tells you: "Do not accept anything blindly without questioning it."
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