TERRY Murphy's reply questie pe whether periods of development and whether there are cultural trends which, in however a refracted way, 'correspond' with these phases My answer is yes, indeed my article was based on this very notion. The quesbonimene et nere cosena exists as a philosophical and cultural trend, but what our assessment of it should be Terry's fundamental points seem to that a) postmodernism is a useful analytical corresponding to the 'cultural logic' of a definite phase of capitalism b) that I have misassessed this trend, conflating it with post-struc"the irrationalism of postmodernism... corresponds with this new period of capitalist crisis, restructuring and reaction" Page 12 Ocl. 12, 1991 No.9 In SO6 Paul Clarke wrote an article attacking 'postmodernism', arguing that it was 'modernism gone rotten'. In reply Terry Murphy insisted that the key to understanding postmodernism is to be found in Frederic Jameson's 'The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism', and that this is based on a periodisation of capitalism which marxists should agree with. Here PAUL CLARKE replies to Terry Murphy. In our next issue we publish a substantial article by Murphy explaining his views.
poses the turalism and drawing too sharp a distinchere are tion between 'optimistic modernism capitalist and pessimistic, postmodernism. I accept the argument that there has I differ with Terry's (and Jameson's) penoaisanon Surely the vogue for postmodernism corresponds not with the postwar boom ana the thira technologial revolton ut with the end of the boom, the period starting at the beginning of the 1970s. It is the end of the boom which has set in train the substantial restructuring of capitalist production, often called 'postfordism'. Theodore m is not aito argue cult postmodernism is not simply tural logic of late capitalism', but rather the cultural logic thinkers who nism started their work betore the hall onset of the crisis; the question is why postmodernism took the 1980s by storm • ane noce UsMy contention is that the irrationalism of postmodernism, and its hostility to the 'grand narratives' of human liberation and to any rational discourse on society corresponds with this new period of capitalist crisis, restructuring and reaction. the 1968 students rebellied against had much echo of post-structuralist postmodernist thought irrationalist theoretical parallels? cepted that they postmodernism? In of late capitalism prefigured postmoder- post-structus ion of society?
more weight.
cois ideology which For example, the American sociologist alcott Parsons, a key target of the insur ent academe, was the doyen of struc dan onSO GREWS ight years away from a structural-mar Did I falseiv attribute the views of cople like Lyotard and Foucault, wit heir rejection of the 'grand narratives' c the Enlightenment (like liberalism, the struggle for human but in structur thin, but it is surety isiliy at- These thinkers were certainly тасоокис: were forerunners of any case, exactly which postmodernist thinker resumers a confident, optimistic discourse about the Murphy's strictures against my contrast between 'pre-postmodernist bourgeos thought (confident, rational etc) ana roten postmoaemm nas pernaps are linked.
Of course throughout 20th century live. Yupples: a symptom of the post-modern age? bourgeois culture there are irrationalist and pessimistic trends. I accept Terry's correction on this point. But then it is surely a legitimate marxist concern to identify what are the dominant trends in bourgeois culture, and to wy to relate these to the political trends in society. that the heart of the debate about postmodernism is whether capitalism marxist who doubts this proposition.
with the postmodernists, post-marxists and common traits.
At the heart of these is the interpretation of the latest phase of capitalism; and that is not 'late capitalism' in general, but the crisis and restructuring of capitalism in the 1980s in particular. ing of capitalist, the world wide offensive of cipital, and the dominance of reactionary trends in philosophy and culture They all teil us something about ine reachonany tmes in wriea we
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