Beyond Postmodern Politics: Lyotard, Rorty, Foucault

by Honi Fern Haber

Book Overview

In this book, Honi Haber offers a much-needed analysis of postmodern politics. While continuing to work towards the voicing of the "other," she argues that we must go beyond the insights of postmodernism to arrive at a viable political theory. Postmodernism's political agenda allows the marginalized other to have a voice and to constitute a politics of difference based upon heterogeneity. But Haber argues that postmodern politics denies us the possibility...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 041590823X
• ISBN13: 9780415908238
• Release Date: September 1994
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

An interesting book with important questions

The book asks two main questions: Can there be a postmodern politics? And can postmodernism provide the marginalized Other with a practical plan to change their status. The author goes through the theories and views of three post- philosophers: Lyotard, Rorty, and Foucault, and tries to see if they can present us with a viable political theory that can be used for the purposes of the oppositional struggles. Lyotard's theory of " terror" indicating that no "language game" should gain precedence over another is seen unable to promise of any change in the status of the unrepresented or the margenalized groups. Rorty's elitist, partisan, and totalitarian views are not of much help either. Foucault, though in this respect, is more advanced than the other two and provides a sense of empowerment through his theory of power, also fails because of his deemphasis on the importance of community for the formation of the subject of resistance. The author also argues that the concept of the subject as lacking in coherence is the challenging problem that deprives postmodernism from the ability to present us with a viable practical politics of opposition. Her alternative can be summarized in her view of the subject mainly as " subject-in community" in the sense that every subject belongs at the same time to many different communities, some of them might be marginalized or unrepresented. A writer, for instance, can be a woman, black, etc. It is through identifying with these groups and speaking up for them that the voices and causes of these groups can be heard and foregroundedThe book is generally accessible and the arguments are presented in a detailed and clear way. The author seems to be repeating many ideas over and over again throughout the book but this can be very useful for a student newly introduced to the subject, since repeating the idea in different context seems to make it a bit clearer every time.