It was with great reservation
that I approached this book. I assumed it would be one of the many dummies,
idiots, or learn Kant in 60 minutes guides that fill the
philosophy section of contemporary popular bookstore. So I was very pleasantly
surprised when I discovered that this small book by Glenn Ward, a UK lecturer
on visual culture, renders the complexities of postmodernism readily accessible
without watering anything down or omitting any important dimension of
postmodernist thinking. It is literate and at time witty. Ward controls his
material extremely well and, given the pedagogical intention of the book, one
gets the impression of following the lectures of a master-teacher.

The book is composed of eight
chapters. The first opens where expected with a discussion of the term "postmodernism."
Ward takes the position that postmodernism does not name one thing but is a
flexible critical category with a range of applications. His reasoning on this
account is sound. One might wish everyone writing on postmodernism took such an
open stance. The books ends with a short and somewhat unsatisfying presentation
of postmodern politics. Given that postmodernism is as much a politic as an intellectual
movement, this failure was a disappointment.

The heart of the book, however,
are the two chapters given to the idea of self in postmodernism that is,
perhaps, the hallmark of postmodernism’s conflict with modernity or an
Enlightenment notion of reason. These chapters are among the best I have read
on the postmodernist notions of the self. They are an excellent preparation for
opening up thinkers which he summarizes accurate and succinctly. Also, he helps
those who might be reading thinker critical of postmodernism to know who the
conversation partners in this discourse are.

   Each chapter is prefaced with
a statement of the three of four central ideas that one will learn in the
chapter. These are not condescending but terrific helps to understand the focus
and aim of the chapter. They are like a road map of the chapter and one can
return to them should one get lost with the point or perspective that Ward is
taking on his subject.

   The book is not a very good
resource for understanding individual postmodernism thinkers. It excels,
however, in linking thinkers with brief discussion of the salient points of
their positions with relevant dimensions or movements within postmodernism. For
example, Derrida is discussed correctly in relation to both literature and
philosophy. This helps locate Derrida as a thinker more than it enables the
reader to grasp the subtly of Derrida’s thought. These linkage and relations
are helpful not only for the beginner but also for those well-versed in some
area or areas of postmodernism. For example, I found the chapter on
postmodernism and architecture illuminating in relation to my own work in
contemporary philosophy, especially since architecture is not a field in which I
have taken much interest. Ward helps the specialist correct oversights due to
specialization.

   Ward is not, as are so many
who write about postmodernism, an uncritical fan. He is careful to
include critical problems raised by postmodernist positions often entitled "doubts"
as well as offering a "defense". The balance that Ward achieves in
such a small, simply written book is exceptional. One might wish, however, that
in presenting positions that are critical of postmodernist claims that he was
as careful in citing writers and works as he is of the postmodernist thinkers
themselves.

   One area that Ward does not
address is education. This is lamentable since the "culture wars" in
which postmodernist thinking has played a pivot role are played out in
education. While an attentive reader can draw implications from the dimension
of postmodernism that Ward does discuss, it does seem to me that education
deserves a close grained discussion.

   Obviously, this book is for a
wide audience. It is not specialist material, but it can be useful to the
specialist. It would also make a solid textbook in a course on postmodernist
thinking in any of its varieties or genres. The book is well-worth the time its
take to read it carefully. It deserves a wide audience.

© 2005 James Sauer

James Sauer, Ph.D. is Associate Professor
of Philosophy, St. Mary’s
University, San Antonia,Texas. He is author of
Faithful Ethics According to John Calvin: The Teachability of the Heart (Edwin
Mellen Press, 1997). He is co-editor of the journal Philosophy in the
Contemporary World, and specializes in ethics, social philosophy, philosophy
of social science. His articles have appeared in the Personalist Forum,
Southwest Philosophy Review, Southwest Philosophical Studies, and the
Journal of Social Economics among others.

Categories: Philosophical