The Challenge of Postmodernism

Abstract

Postmodernism is a dangerous term, used in dismissive tones and with increasing abandon by political analysts to refer to work they regard as all too keen to embrace the limits of a science of the political. In this sense it has tended to become a term of exasperation at the work of others rather than a badge of self-identification. Within the political analyst’s lexicon, and like structuralism, functionalism and relativism before it, postmodernism is now principally employed as a term of abuse. Thus while many authors are declared ‘postmodernist’ by their critics, few openly embrace the term themselves. It is then important that if we are to do any kind of justice to the positions which might be labelled ‘postmodernist’ we are extremely careful in specifying what the term implies and what it does not imply.