Post Modern Art Mistaken for a Murder
June 19, 2007
When everything is a decaying symbolic copy of a copy, it becomes natural to be apathetic toward everything because nothing is real.
The Flesh Colored Crayon of Reality
May 30, 2007
The first box of Binney & Smith crayons, produced in 1903, sold for a nickel and contained eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black (wiki).
Over the decades, Crayola expanded into many other colors including colors like Indian Red and “flesh” colored. These two colors were fine through the 1950’s. The multi-cultural movements of the ’60s changed everything.
In 1962, Binney & Smith chose to change the name Flesh to Peach in response to the Civil Rights Movement, since not all people are the same skin color. In 1999, the name Indian Red was changed to Chestnut because children wrongly perceived the color to be that of Native Americans, when in fact “Indian Red” had its roots in a dye from India (wiki).
When it comes to interpreting life, we tend to color our experiences with the tools we have. It makes sense, really. Afterall, we can’t use something we don’t have and we can’t use information we don’t know.
That is an over-simplified explaination of postmodernist view on science and philosophy. Postmodernist ask: How can scientists, philosophers and saints know anything when their culture dilutes what they call reality? These philosophers, and saints and scientists are essentially coloring reality with their flesh colored crayons. Now, the extreme postmodernist jump straight off of a nilhist cliff and says there is no meaning at all. I agree with some of what the post moderist have to say, but there is no need to be ridiculous.
It is important to at least realize the cultural bias we use to interpret our Gods, our facts and our reason. Without that internal check we will be blinded by the very things that are supposed to free us.
Further, it is important to realize that every word spoken and written and every concept thought or otherwise expressed are merely symbols. In the case of “God” or “Jehovah” or “Allah” we should note that the words we used to describe the subject of our worship, love, devotion and adoration are only symbols.
We tend to feel threatend by someone else’s interpretation of reality when in wisdom all interpretations should strengthen us as they tell us more about ourselves as individuals and as a species. An atheist (for example) shouldn’t be disgusted by a Pentacostal speaking in tongues but be awakend to the spectrum of reality that the human condition can accept. Reality does not have a cookie cutter approach. What I see, is not completely what you see.
Though we should not praise ALL perspectives (they are not all healthy and contructive) we should definitely respect them enough to deal with them properly. Just like a criminal profiler, they must understand and get into the mind set of a killer in order to predict the predators next move and motive. In the same way, should we understand our enemies and those who seek to despitefully use us. It does no good to simply marginalize and use stereotyping beyond what is necessary.
Another example is George Bush saying of Al Quaeda, “they hate us because of our freedom” may be bit oversimplified. The more we understand the terrorist, the child molester, serial killer, the rapist, the dirty politician, the better chance we have to overcome and subdue them. A game of Chess is won by paying attention, thinking three steps a head of your opponents most probable movements.
In the latter part of the 19th century after two world wars and an precedented population explosion, we found ourselves in the waiting arms of multiculturalism and globalism. Its forced us to live in a world of dying closed homogenious cultures and vanishing nations.
As with the mythological phoenix, the new firebird will rise out of the ashes of old. Now we are forced to draw reality not only in new colors but in different dimensions.
Postmodern Mythology
April 4, 2007
New myths are being created today.
Some say that the creation of myth comparable to those found in the great traditions (Christianity, Islam and others) is impossible because these days every one has a camera. So if Moses, for example, claimed to parted the Red Sea today no one would believe it without evidence (and even if it were on camera it would be in question).
Are we now doomed to be without wonders and miracles in today’s skeptical, camera and Internet globalized, postmodern world?
No. I believe that miracles and unexplained phenomenon are happening at an even greater rate than our ancestors experienced. Only now, we catch them on our digital cameras and have creditable eye witness accounts.
UFOs, aliens and parapsychology are the new postmodern mythology. To be clear “myth” doesn’t always mean “untrue”.
myth: 2. A real or fictional story, recurring theme, or character type that appeals to the consciousness of people by embodying its cultural ideals or by giving expression to deep, common felt emotions. – Webster II New Riverside University Dictionary
Unlike prehistoric to promodern times, postmodernism allows you to believe and say whatever the hell you want because absolute truth has been annihilated.
Lets take a look at the evolution of “truth”.
Prehistory – Truth is given by stories passed by word of mouth via elders, shaman, tribe leaders and magical sources. (predates written history)
Ancient history – Truth is from belief in divine sources (leaders are conveniently god)
Beginning of written history (began about 33 Century B.C. as far as we know).Premodernity – Truth is derived from authority. Authorities (royalty, priests) have divine right (500 A.D. – 1400 AD).
Modernity – Truth is dominated by science based on repeatable, physical evidence. Science chips away at religious/traditional ideas (i.e. world is flat, Earth is the center of the universe, religious wars and purges killed millions of people). Modernity is marked by creation of the printing press in 1400s in which more people had access to knowledge. Religious power began to fade. Science and technology begin to dominate. The modernity and unimpeded advancements of science saves millions from early death, disease and famine AND kills millions in conflicts, genocide and world wars.
Postmodernity - “Truth” is a matter of perspective. Postmodernity is marked by globalization. The cross breeding of traditions, sciences and religions make it obvious that our interpretations of reality have everything to do with cultural bias (i.e. Mahatmas Gandhi, a man who influenced peace around the world, hated black people, modern nations killed millions of people).
What we call “myths” today was considered a reality to the people of ancient history. The Spartans considered themselves the actual descendants of Hercules. We are taught today that Hercules was not real, but to those ancient people he and all the other gods were absolutely real.
Many of the myths of ancient people were based on some truth. The Great Flood is a myth that is repeated in Judaism/Christianity, Sumerians texts, Greek myth of Deukalion’s flood and others. The floods that they spoke of might have been different local floods that were equally cataclysmic that happened at different times. But for them it there was an actual great flood.
Scientists have put out their data unmoved by the trappings of religious dogma, and that is good. Modern science tends to throw out all information when a fraction is wrong. But then they go a step further by attempting to ridicule and marginalize anyone who entertains the thought that they believe they have just completely disproved. Their hypotheses and theories then become the very thing they have dismantled, dogma and religion. Richard Dawkin’s neo-atheist, scientism is very similar to intolerant and defensive attitudes seen in religious fundamentalism.
Groups (religious, scientific or national) all over the world attempt to reduce all knowledge to fit into their world. Whatever can not fit is thrown out, belittle, and demonized. Postmodernism points this out. It is like a five year old that blabs about the fattest person in the room, “MOM, SHE IS FAT!” Postmodernism is calling religion and modern science fat. And questioning all those claiming absolute truth. In this way it is dangerous. But at the same time it makes room for all the things that religion and science have tag teamed.
Things like parapsychology and ufology have room in postmodernism because it recognizes that truth has perspectives.
