Best Explanations of Postmodernism

1. The Modern and the Postmodern (Part 1 and 2) Wesleyan University

A solid course addressing both the philosophical and artistic components of modernism and postmodernism. It gives a good background on the idea of modernity, its origins, and how it gave rise to the idea of postmodernism. It is a cross-disciplinary course, covering not only the philosophy of postmodernism, but also the art, espeically the visual art that was a part of the movement. Including Kant, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Freud, Darwin, Foucault, and more!

Downsides, the course is missing some key postmodern thinkers in the continental philosophy tradition: Lyotard, Derrida, and others whose names are almost synonymous with postmodernism are missing.

Postmodernism is a complex topic that spans philosophy, art, science and politics. It is hard to explain because it includes so many different movements within it. It requires a cross-disciplinary background to understand the full scope of the movement.

2. The Encyclopedia of Postmodernism

Looking for a great resource for looking up particular terms or thinkers in the world of postmodernism? Look no further than the Encyclopedia of Postmodernism. A fantastic resource if you are looking for one-off definitions of various terms, an introductory background on any thinker in the postmodern movement. This is especially useful for folks that are unfamiliar with the terminology of postmodernism and continental philosophy, as it breaks down the terms that many of these thinkers are using in a clear and concise way.

It may be less useful to anyone that is looking for something that is more curated, going through all of the parts of the movement at once, but it is great for anyone looking for a reference companion to postmodernism.

3. This is Not A Course On Postmodernism (Carneades.org)

The series, and corresponding course from Carneades.org on Postmodernism is impressive in its scope, covering postmodern architecture, postmodern performance, postmodern science, postmodern philosophy, and postmodern politics. The series is geared for those with more of a background in analytic philosophy to understand those continental philosophers that are well-known in postmodernism (Foucault, Derrida, and Lyotard). It also encompasses a broad discussion of the connections between postmodernism and aesthetics as well as how the problem of underdetermination and Thomas Kuhn's theory of paradigm shift can be connected to postmodernism.