Post modernism is often defined as the incredulity towards all meta-narratives. I have written in detail in one of the posts in the main blog about what metanarratives are. I am creating this page to describe a few metanarratives closely.
Why? If we spell out the widely accepted metanarratives clearly, we know what to not believe blindly. Hence each of the below descriptions are examples of WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN! To be precise I am not against these statements or beliefs either. I am just in agreement with the post modern philsophy of avoiding meta-narratives. In this sense I am saying that the below mentioned metanarratives are not correct, but are not incorrect either - they are just irrelevant and oversimplistic representations of the world.
Why write it? It helps elucidate one's value system. Also, I am hoping a reader agreeing with me in the emphasis on post-modern thought would add to or modify the metanarratives here. At the very least, I would learn a few things about what I might have been blindly believing in through the social habit.
1. Metanarrative of love
Love is most fulfilling emotion of them all. Without love, there is not much to live for. Ultimately all of us seek love of fellow human beings. Love gives purpose to one's life and actions. Love makes one benign and forgiving. Love creates a lasting positive feeling about life - which is very rare to create otherwise.
You can earn all the money, fame, power, knowledge you want, but if you dont have love, you have earned nothing. You will long for it and rue its absence.
It is at the heart of all human endeavour. It is what distinguishes us from the inanimate objects and machines. Animals and babies understand it very clearly, the adult humans miss it in the noise of all the other self-inflicted worries, issues and limitations of themselves.
Critique: The metanarrative of love is self-important and smug. It looks down upon pretty much everything and everyone. It romanticizes some undoubtedly beautiful emotions way too much into a super-glorified substrate of all humanity. Considering its nearly tautological claims, the metanarrative of love is dangerous to argue with.
2. The metanarrative of money
It finally boils down to money always. Everyone works for money. Money moves everything, rules everything and is the endgame of all human activities. Do not be misled by the claims of love, humanity and even ego - its all about money. Wars are fought for money, riots are instigated for money, politics is finally about money and so it terrorism. A vast money-spinning machine rules our lives through its million tentacles and enslaves us without our knowledge. Even when you have earned money, you remain its slave. In that sense its the money that earns you.
Critique: This metanarrative is typically propounded by either the very moneyed and thus subconsciously guilty or the penniless but jealous of wealth. It could also be created and believed by those that give up consciously a life of earning a lot of money and are constantly trying to indirectly look down upon the pursuit of money.
The logic of this metanarrative is correct in islands of human activity and has sufficient anecdotal evidence. Its overgeneralization thus is a very tempting next step. Indirectly it also satisfies one's need to start debasing all humanity at once.
3. The metanarrative of power
There are a very select few movers and shakers of the world. They control everything. They are thoroughly interconnected - constantly exchanging favours amongst themselves to often keep out the vast majority that they directly of indirectly rule and exploit. They make the rules for the rest to obey but themselves constantly keep bending and breaking the rules to their advantage. They live a cosy and previleged life while the vast majority toils in grief. They maintain their stranglehold over power through numerous covert and overt techniques and ultimately belong to the same class - though showing antagonistic relationship amongst themselves in public. They control the media, the money, the government, the education system and the public works. They cannot be unseated, ever!
4. The metanarrative of markets
Markets always organize themselves beautifully into equillibrium. Left to themselves, the markets allocate resources most optimally and fairly. The markets work far more efficiently than any plan - however elegant. This is because the markets are self-correcting, constantly fed-back systems with internal governance through everyone rationally chasing her best interests. The markets may seem unfair or inhuman in the short term but ultimately they lead to the best outcome in the medium to long term. Any attempt at planned organization of human economic activity is doomed to fail and be suboptimal vis-a-vis what markets can achieve.
5. The metanarrative of family
When everyone has finally given up on you, you can always fall back on your family. They are there for you in times of need. You can have your fun with your friends but finally its the family that holds you through the times of crisis. Blood is thicker than water or champaign. Family accepts you unconditionally and forgives you implicitly. They are the ones you can be angry at but still not lose touch with, they are the ones that can be angry at you and still be around you in times of need. They are worth holding on to at all costs.
6. The metanarrative of religion
There is some force that makes the world go round. This unimaginable complexity, wonderful stability of life and mindboggling beauty of existance is supported by the ultimate source of vitality for the world. In His watch everyone gets his/her fair due - sooner or later. The path of belief and love leads one to the life of far greater fulfillment than one can ever hope to achieve through material success. The divine experience is far superior to any other on the face of the earth. The illusion of power, love, success, wealth is borne simply out of ignorance. The sooner it is corrected in a human being the faster is his/her attainment of the true goal of human life!
Even the most accomplished amongst us feel the constant angst in their hearts - an inexplicable need for purpose, an emptiness that cries for meaning. That is because their pursuits have been misguided. They have everything and yet have nothing. They are on top of the world and yet inferior to even the most humble of the divine souls.
7. The metanarrative of democracy
Any form of governance which does not include the will of the people being governed is morally flawed. It might also have technical flaws which might bring about its failure eventually anyway. However, even if that does not happen and the political system which is not democratic prospers, it is not morally right.
People always know what is best for themselves. Even if they don't, no one person/organization/unit can claim to know better than people in this regard. Part of the reason is that this problem is fundamentally one of choice, freedom and personal liberty and thus cannot be systematically analysed or solved. Part of the reason is that even if an individual or organization were to attempt a solution, the public can never be sure that the ends that are being pursued by that individual or organization are genuinely in public interest and are not for personal gain. Since power always corrupts, any non-democratic government is corrupt. Even if it is not corrupt in the immediate or short term sense, its pursuing of personal or irrelevant ends will make it so in the long run.
This metanarrative is so powerful that I have to work really hard to see it an tentative and overtly simple. More later.
8. The metanarrative of geopolitics
Coming soon!
9. The metanarrative of environmentalism
10. The metanarrative of choice and freedom
12. The metanarrative of "the human animal"
13. The metanarrative of the visionary leader
14. The metanarrative of corporate strategy
15. The metanarrative of destiny
16. The metanarrative of courage
17. The metanarrative of the triumph of human ambition/persistence/endeavour over nature/all obstacles/all odds.
Why? If we spell out the widely accepted metanarratives clearly, we know what to not believe blindly. Hence each of the below descriptions are examples of WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN! To be precise I am not against these statements or beliefs either. I am just in agreement with the post modern philsophy of avoiding meta-narratives. In this sense I am saying that the below mentioned metanarratives are not correct, but are not incorrect either - they are just irrelevant and oversimplistic representations of the world.
Why write it? It helps elucidate one's value system. Also, I am hoping a reader agreeing with me in the emphasis on post-modern thought would add to or modify the metanarratives here. At the very least, I would learn a few things about what I might have been blindly believing in through the social habit.
1. Metanarrative of love
Love is most fulfilling emotion of them all. Without love, there is not much to live for. Ultimately all of us seek love of fellow human beings. Love gives purpose to one's life and actions. Love makes one benign and forgiving. Love creates a lasting positive feeling about life - which is very rare to create otherwise.
You can earn all the money, fame, power, knowledge you want, but if you dont have love, you have earned nothing. You will long for it and rue its absence.
It is at the heart of all human endeavour. It is what distinguishes us from the inanimate objects and machines. Animals and babies understand it very clearly, the adult humans miss it in the noise of all the other self-inflicted worries, issues and limitations of themselves.
Critique: The metanarrative of love is self-important and smug. It looks down upon pretty much everything and everyone. It romanticizes some undoubtedly beautiful emotions way too much into a super-glorified substrate of all humanity. Considering its nearly tautological claims, the metanarrative of love is dangerous to argue with.
2. The metanarrative of money
It finally boils down to money always. Everyone works for money. Money moves everything, rules everything and is the endgame of all human activities. Do not be misled by the claims of love, humanity and even ego - its all about money. Wars are fought for money, riots are instigated for money, politics is finally about money and so it terrorism. A vast money-spinning machine rules our lives through its million tentacles and enslaves us without our knowledge. Even when you have earned money, you remain its slave. In that sense its the money that earns you.
Critique: This metanarrative is typically propounded by either the very moneyed and thus subconsciously guilty or the penniless but jealous of wealth. It could also be created and believed by those that give up consciously a life of earning a lot of money and are constantly trying to indirectly look down upon the pursuit of money.
The logic of this metanarrative is correct in islands of human activity and has sufficient anecdotal evidence. Its overgeneralization thus is a very tempting next step. Indirectly it also satisfies one's need to start debasing all humanity at once.
3. The metanarrative of power
There are a very select few movers and shakers of the world. They control everything. They are thoroughly interconnected - constantly exchanging favours amongst themselves to often keep out the vast majority that they directly of indirectly rule and exploit. They make the rules for the rest to obey but themselves constantly keep bending and breaking the rules to their advantage. They live a cosy and previleged life while the vast majority toils in grief. They maintain their stranglehold over power through numerous covert and overt techniques and ultimately belong to the same class - though showing antagonistic relationship amongst themselves in public. They control the media, the money, the government, the education system and the public works. They cannot be unseated, ever!
4. The metanarrative of markets
Markets always organize themselves beautifully into equillibrium. Left to themselves, the markets allocate resources most optimally and fairly. The markets work far more efficiently than any plan - however elegant. This is because the markets are self-correcting, constantly fed-back systems with internal governance through everyone rationally chasing her best interests. The markets may seem unfair or inhuman in the short term but ultimately they lead to the best outcome in the medium to long term. Any attempt at planned organization of human economic activity is doomed to fail and be suboptimal vis-a-vis what markets can achieve.
5. The metanarrative of family
When everyone has finally given up on you, you can always fall back on your family. They are there for you in times of need. You can have your fun with your friends but finally its the family that holds you through the times of crisis. Blood is thicker than water or champaign. Family accepts you unconditionally and forgives you implicitly. They are the ones you can be angry at but still not lose touch with, they are the ones that can be angry at you and still be around you in times of need. They are worth holding on to at all costs.
6. The metanarrative of religion
There is some force that makes the world go round. This unimaginable complexity, wonderful stability of life and mindboggling beauty of existance is supported by the ultimate source of vitality for the world. In His watch everyone gets his/her fair due - sooner or later. The path of belief and love leads one to the life of far greater fulfillment than one can ever hope to achieve through material success. The divine experience is far superior to any other on the face of the earth. The illusion of power, love, success, wealth is borne simply out of ignorance. The sooner it is corrected in a human being the faster is his/her attainment of the true goal of human life!
Even the most accomplished amongst us feel the constant angst in their hearts - an inexplicable need for purpose, an emptiness that cries for meaning. That is because their pursuits have been misguided. They have everything and yet have nothing. They are on top of the world and yet inferior to even the most humble of the divine souls.
7. The metanarrative of democracy
Any form of governance which does not include the will of the people being governed is morally flawed. It might also have technical flaws which might bring about its failure eventually anyway. However, even if that does not happen and the political system which is not democratic prospers, it is not morally right.
People always know what is best for themselves. Even if they don't, no one person/organization/unit can claim to know better than people in this regard. Part of the reason is that this problem is fundamentally one of choice, freedom and personal liberty and thus cannot be systematically analysed or solved. Part of the reason is that even if an individual or organization were to attempt a solution, the public can never be sure that the ends that are being pursued by that individual or organization are genuinely in public interest and are not for personal gain. Since power always corrupts, any non-democratic government is corrupt. Even if it is not corrupt in the immediate or short term sense, its pursuing of personal or irrelevant ends will make it so in the long run.
This metanarrative is so powerful that I have to work really hard to see it an tentative and overtly simple. More later.
8. The metanarrative of geopolitics
The final driving forces of actions of nation-states, large corporations and powerful groups around the world are essentially geopolitical in nature. The compulsions of geopolitics move organizations, armies, heads of states and so on.
11. The metanarrative of "the good within us"
All of us harbor a fundamentally good side inside of us. This is the good that needs to be nurtured and bolstered. It probably comes from the evolutionary superiority in a social sense of being good. It might also come from our desire to love and be loved. All of us somewhere deep down want to do good, given a chance. Often the only thing that keeps us from doing good is lack of opportunity and resources. The desire however is always there, however suppressed.
Hence when the time comes even the worst of criminals would do a noble deed and the most lowly amongst us would rise to the occasion and surprise us.
Coming soon!
9. The metanarrative of environmentalism
10. The metanarrative of choice and freedom
12. The metanarrative of "the human animal"
13. The metanarrative of the visionary leader
14. The metanarrative of corporate strategy
15. The metanarrative of destiny
16. The metanarrative of courage
17. The metanarrative of the triumph of human ambition/persistence/endeavour over nature/all obstacles/all odds.
