The words 'postmodernism' and 'postmodernity' have become pervasive throughout the humanities, but their meanings frequently seem difficult to pin down. Anyone with an interest in contemporary culture is likely, sooner or later, to face a wide range of questions, such as: what is the postmodern? How does it relate to the world today? Have we entered a new age in which the problems facing modernity are no longer relevant, or does modernity mark a new way of thinking about those same issues? How does cultural postmodernism shape our experiences of contemporary society? These are just some of...

Jean-Francois Lyotard is one of the most celebrated proponents of what has become known as the 'postmodern'. More than almost any other contemporary theorist, he has explored the relations between knowledge, art, politics and history, in ways that offer radical new possibilities for thinking about modern culture. Simon Malpas introduces students to issues at the heart of Lyotard's work, including - modernity and the postmodern - the sublime - ethics - history and representation - art and the unpresentable - knowledge, the university and the future. Lyotard's work is impossible to dismiss or...

Simon Malpas investigates the theories and definitions of postmodernism and postmodernity, and explores their impact in such areas as identity, history, art, literature and culture. In attempting to map the different forms of the postmodern, and the contrasting experiences of postmodernity in the Western and developing worlds, he looks closely at:

* modernism and postmodernism
* modernity and postmodernity
* subjectivity
* history
* politics.

This useful guidebook will introduce students to a range of key thinkers who have sought to question the contemporary...