by Marcus Loane
The second most dangerous idea ever devised
Postmodernism is a way of thinking that has invaded non-scientific academia. In its most extreme forms it is as anti-rational as faith is. Extreme postmodernists claim that everyone's point of view is equally valid. All is relative. The beliefs of some remote Amazonian tribe are as valid as the beliefs of an educated Western society. The beliefs of middle eastern goat herders thousands of years ago are as valid as the beliefs of professors at American universities. Extreme postmodernists go even further. They state that not only are all these beliefs equally valid but that they are equally true! Reality becomes whatever we want to believe it to be. There is no objective reality, only our subjective interpretation of it. The theory that the moon is being dragged across the sky by horses is as true as the theory that it is obeying Newton's laws of gravitation!
Postmodernism may be a reaction to the success of science which some see as threatening and encroaching on their territory. Postmodernism is dangerous because it encourages us to believe what ever we want with no regard for the truth. It makes the mistake of equating, not knowing some things for certain, with not knowing anything at all.
Thankfully postmodernism can be hoisted on its own petard. If no point of view can be demonstrated to be true then postmodernism cannot be demonstrated to be true. "Postmodernism is bunk" is as equally true as "postmodernism is true".
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Marcus Loane