4 Postmodern Thought
Chapter 4 audio can be accessed on Soundcloud. Instructor resources are available on Canvas Commons.
Chapter 4 Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:
- Explain and critique the philosophical frameworks of modernity and postmodernism.
- Recognize and analyze the social constructs that govern our behavior, beliefs, and traditions.
- Apply thick description.
4.1 Philosophy and Colonialism
As discussed in Chapter 1, early anthropologists played at least some role in European and American efforts to dominate the globe economically and politically during the era of European expansion and colonialism.
The tools that early anthropologists used in order to advance these goals included constructing ideas about distinct human “races” and placing these races on a hierarchical scale (Baker 1998). Notably, this specific idea of race developed due to specific political goals and out of specifical historic conditions that were part of the colonial era. Yet the hierarchical concept of race still impacts our lives today. Ideas surrounding “The West” versus “The Orient” developed at around the same time, as scholars aimed to support white domination across the globe (Said 1978; Lipsitz 1998).
Because the first forms of anthropological research and writing were conducted within this context, students of anthropology need a brief introduction to the European philosophical trends that shaped early anthropology. And, we must address the modern philosophical frameworks that modern anthropologists have used in order to challenge the early narratives of white supremacy in our field. Understanding how our discipline’s ideas have changed over time will provide a necessary framework for us to engage with the anthropological examination of religion in the past and present.
4.2 The Scientific Method
Let’s begin with the “renaissance” which literally means “rebirth.” The Renaissance was a period of cultural rebirth including scientific and artistic advancement across much of Europe from the 15th-16th centuries. Before The Renaissance, the European mindset largely explained life’s mysteries by focusing on religion (specifically, they primarily sought answers in Christianity and The Bible) (Yu 1).
During The Renaissance, The Scientific Method was developed and rigorously applied as scientists strove to understand much of the natural world. The Scientific Method works in the following steps:
- Observe: Scientists observe a phenomenon in the natural world (such as: the spread of disease, the changing of a species, the function of gravity, etc.)
- Develop a hypothesis: Scientists develop a “guess” about what might be causing the event to occur. The scientists’ goal is not always to prove that their hypothesis is correct because seeking to exclusively prove the hypothesis as correct would lead to biased results. Rather, a false hypothesis is also very powerful because a false hypothesis can reveal a great deal about the natural world.