THE CONCEPT OF POSTMODERNISM

225 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar THE CONCEPT OF POSTMODERNISM Bobokalonova Qurbonoy Jumanazar kizi Hafizov Sardor Urol ugli Jumaqulova Zulayho Murodovna Khusanova Farida Bahodir kizi Students of Denau institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy Email: [email protected] Supervisor: Sodikova Bakhtigul Ibodullayevna https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17629095 Abstract: Postmodernism was one of the most important intellectual movements of the late twentieth century. It changed the way people think about philosophy, culture, and art in the modern world. Postmodern thought arose as a critique of modernist beliefs in universal truth, progress, and rationality, challenging the fundamental principles of meaning, knowledge, and identity. This paper investigates the theoretical construct of postmodernism, analysing its philosophical foundations, essential tenets, and prominent theorists including Jean-François Lyotard, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Jean Baudrillard. The research examines the ramifications of postmodern theory on the comprehension of culture, knowledge, and representation, ultimately asserting that postmodernism persists as a vital framework for reassessing notions of truth and power in the twenty-first century. Key words: postmodern theory, postmodernism, deconstruction, metanarratives, hyperreality, notion INTRODUCTION The notion of postmodernism holds a pivotal position in modern intellectual history. This is a big change from the hopeful ideas of modernism, which were based on the Enlightenment belief in reason, science, and progress. Modernists thought that by using reason, people could find universal truths and become better people. The disastrous events of the twentieth century, including two world wars, the rise of totalitarian regimes, and the global spread of media and consumer culture, caused many people to lose faith in these ideas. Postmodernism reached its peak in America at a time when postmodern theories had become fashionable. However, to understand the defining elements of postmodernism in America nihilism and despair the historical experience of destruction, such as that caused by the Second World War, was lacking. One of the first theorists to attempt to define postmodernism, Ihab Hassan, strongly complained about the difficulty of doing so and identified “a series of conceptual problems that both conceal and constitute postmodernism itself.” After listing his ten problems, Hassan presented a clear and useful table comparing modernism and postmodernism. [11, 65] Postmodernism expresses two central, constitutive tendencies: one is indeterminacy, and the other is immanence. These two tendencies are not dialectical, for they are not completely opposed, nor do they lead to synthesis. Each contains its own contradictions and alludes to elements of the other. Their interaction reflects the movement of “polilectics” that encompasses postmodernism.[11, 66] Postmodernism came about as a philosophical and cultural response to this disappointment. It challenged the supremacy of reason, objectivity, and science, positing that all knowledge is socially and linguistically constructed. [8] It contended that meaning is inherently unstable and that human comprehension is perpetually filtered through language and cultural discourse. [3] So, postmodernism isn't just a time in history; it's also a way of thinking critically that changes how we see truth, power, and identity. METHODOLOGY AND MATERIALS 226 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar This paper employs a qualitative and analytical research methodology, predominantly utilising secondary sources, including scholarly books, journal articles, and theoretical essays from prominent postmodern theorists. The data is gathered via an extensive examination of the existing literature on postmodernism, emphasising both philosophical and cultural viewpoints. The analysis entails interpreting and contrasting the principal concepts of prominent theorists, including Derrida, Lyotard, Foucault, and Baudrillard. Since the goal of the study is conceptual clarification rather than measurement, neither empirical nor statistical data are used. Rather, it makes use of critical textual analysis to find definitions, recurrent themes, and contradictions in postmodern theory discourse. A deeper comprehension of postmodern philosophy's abstract and interpretive character is made possible by this approach. RESEARCH ANALYSES AND DISCUSSION The best way to conceptualise postmodernism is as a constellation of ideas bound together by scepticism towards universality and certainty rather than as a single doctrine. Its primary attributes consist of: 1. Grand Narratives Are Rejected The opposition of postmodernism to comprehensive explanations of history or human progress is encapsulated in Lyotard's concept of "incredulity towards metanarratives." Postmodernism encourages local, partial, and context-specific forms of knowledge rather than the belief in a single truth.[8] 2. Words and the Creation of Reality Both Derrida and Foucault stressed that language creates reality rather than merely describing it. Meaning does not come from a fixed relationship between words and things, but rather from differences between signs.[5] Therefore, it is impossible to be objective because all knowledge is mediated through discourse and cultural codes. 3. Disintegration and Irony Postmodernism appears in literature and art as intertextuality, parody, and fragmentation. Authors such as Kurt Vonnegut, Don DeLillo, and Thomas Pynchon use metafictional techniques and nonlinear narratives to challenge the reader's role and the stability of meaning.[10] 4. The Simulation and Hyperreal In modern culture, media images take the place of the real, according to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality.[1] The distinction between representation and reality blurs; what we see is a simulation influenced by digital technology, entertainment, and advertising rather than the actual world. 5. Strength and Wisdom The way that power is distributed through social structures and discourses is what Foucault contributed. He asserts that knowledge is not neutral but rather supports specific power structures. Therefore, postmodernism reveals the historical and political construction of "truths." 6. Disagreements Jürgen Habermas (1987) and other critics have charged postmodernism with relativism and nihilism, claiming that its denial of reality erodes moral accountability and reasoned discourse.[6] Others, like David Harvey (1989), do not view it as a philosophical revolution, but rather as a cultural reaction to the circumstances of late capitalism. Nevertheless, there is no denying postmodernism's impact on philosophy, art, and education.[7] RESULTS The research's conclusions show that postmodernism has radically changed the current intellectual environment by: dismissing the idea of absolute knowledge or universal truth. Putting a focus on cultural context, language, and interpretation when creating meaning. Highlighting how knowledge and power are related. Promoting diversity, pluralism, and an open mind to different 227 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar viewpoints. Encouraging playfulness, self-awareness, and irony in cultural expression. According to these results, postmodernism is still an essential framework for comprehending the intricacies of the media-driven, post-industrial world. Postmodernism's applicability in the digital age, particularly in light of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, should be the subject of future studies. To encourage critical thinking and media literacy, educators should incorporate postmodern concepts into their curricula. Multidisciplinary research can examine globalisation, technological advancement, and cultural identity using postmodern frameworks. In order to strike a balance between diversity and moral responsibility, academics should keep investigating the ethical ramifications of postmodern relativism. CONCLUSION One of the most significant and hotly contested intellectual movements in recent memory is postmodernism. It casts doubt on modernist optimism and substitutes it with a critical understanding of the boundaries of objectivity and reason. Postmodernism reveals the ways in which language and power structures shape meaning and knowledge through the writings of intellectuals such as Derrida, Lyotard, Foucault, and Baudrillard. Despite its relativism criticism, postmodernism still provides insightful perspectives on modern society. Its concepts of reality and representation are more pertinent than ever in a time when information, simulation, and digital media rule the day. Postmodernism challenges us to reevaluate what we refer to as "truth" and how we define it by promoting scepticism, discussion, and an openness to difference.. References: 1. Baudrillard J. Simulacres et Simulation. – Paris: Éditions Galilée, 1981. – 236 p. 2. DeLillo D. White Noise. – New York: Viking Penguin, 1985. – 326 p. 3. Derrida J. Of Grammatology / Trans. by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. – Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976. – 360 p. 4. Foucault M. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison / Trans. by Alan Sheridan. – New York: Pantheon Books, 1977. – 333 p. 5. Foucault M. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972–1977 / Ed. by Colin Gordon. – New York: Pantheon Books, 1980. – 270 p. 6. Habermas J. The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity: Twelve Lectures / Trans. by Frederick Lawrence. – Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1987. – 430 p. 7. Harvey D. The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. – Oxford: Blackwell, 1989. – 378 p. 8. Lyotard J.-F. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. – Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984. – 110 p. 9. Pynchon T. Gravity’s Rainbow. – New York: Viking Press, 1973. – 760 p. 10. Vonnegut K. Slaughterhouse-Five. – New York: Delacorte Press, 1969. – 190 p. 11. Sodiqova, B. Postmodernizm tarixiga oid ta’riflar // Tamaddun nuri. – 2024. – №2. – B. 65–67. 12. Sodiqova, B. Postmodernizm oqimining falsafiy, estetik va badiiy-metodologik tamoyillari // Ilmiy tadqiqot va innovatsiya. – 2022. – №1. – B. 25–30. 13. Sodikova, B.; Bobojonov, D. O‘zbek adabiyotshunosligida modernizm va postmodernizm oqimiga bildirilgan tasniflar // Renessans v paradigme novatsiy obrazovaniya i nauki. – 2022. – №3. – S. 54–60.