is What postmodernism? Discuss some of the similarities and differences between the various postmodern theorists addressed in the course. How do these theorists help us to understand the movie 12 Monkeys. Introduction Postmodernism- an intellectual movement in the arts, literature, and social sciences that wants to trace out the political, moral, and cultural implications of the collapse of the idea of progress. Use techniques such as: pessimism, subjectivity, irrationality, fragmentation, and hyperconsumption (Hyperconsumption: An extraordinary level of consumption associated with the contemporary world: Ritzer) Post modernism is against: o Grand Narrative- A universal, totalizing account of history that makes generalizations about the past, present, and future. Postmodernists say that this just legitimizes current power relations; see history as multi-linear o Foundationalism- belief that our values and knowledge are justified by referencing some timeless foundation (ex: God, human, nature, reason). Post-modernists think that values and truths are social constructions P.1 Foucault discusses society in which discipline and control over people is widesperead. He discusses the prison system as a model in which you have the people in power having the ability to observe their objects (prisoners) which he calls panopticon. This is a form of disciplinary society in which control over people is absolute. The people in power will use governmentalities (techniques by which control is exercised) to show control. These governmentalities contribue to a carceral archipelago in which displince swarms through society. This displinary type of society focuses on a more linear type of control situation, contrasting from the idea of the pastiche. In a pastiche, ideas become confused and contradicted rather than clear and symmetrical. As well, in contrast to Foucaults ideas of the disciplinary, Jean Baudrillard discusses a contrasting society in which one can use a detterence machines to temporarily escape the harsh disciplines of the reality society. Detterence machines can come in the form of theme parks, and they help us escape the real that exists. Thus according to Baudrillard we can create simulations to create a fake society in which we will never again have to face the realities of discipline. These simulations can involve a hypearreality in which things are exaggerated to seem more extreme then they are. P.2 12 Monkeys Monkeys- 12 a lethal virus wiped out 5 billion people in future. Scientists send convict (James Cole) back in time to the year 1996 so that he can locate the virus before it mutates. The virus is believed to be released by a revolutionist group, the 12 Monkeys. By mistake, he is sent to 1990, and he is locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Railly, a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey, the insane son of a famous virus expert Distopian view of future- pessimistic- society is characterized by negative traits. Technology is a negative thing. Destructs human race. This agrees with the post-
modernist view that society is a negative, destructive place. Dr. Raillys reasons for not wanting to believe Coles destructive prophecies is she believes they fall under Jean Baudrillards theory of hyperreal in which his model of the destruction of the earth is entirely simulated and realer than real and thus one wouldnt be able to distinguish it from reality. o Hyperconsumption o In the movie, Dr. Peters criticizes Dr. Railly because she does not believe Cole on his theories about the destruction of the earth, and how hyperconsumption is contributing to that. Because she does not understand that because of hyperconsumption the earth is deteriorating, she sees Cole as a lunatic. Dr. Peters, though, explains that Lets go shopping is actually the ry of the lunatic. And thus Dr. Railly is ingoring the staggering environmental issues of hyperconsumption. This human excess is contributing to the destruction of the human race. When Cole is in the institution, his life becomes a pastiche where his views and ideas suddenly have no symmetry or regularity. He sees walls hidden behind old headlines, articles, and charts. He sees seated at a long conference table, staring at him, six scientists. An astrophysicist, an engineer, a botanist, a microbiologist, a zoologist, and a geologist. The represent modern science where new ideas clash with crude, outdated, patched together technologies. Pastiche is achieved because these apparently smart men contributed to the destruction of the world. These advancements the doctors made were supposed to improve hyperconsumption, yet this ironically led to the destruction of the earth. Conclusion: 12 Monkeys depicts Postmodernism: Pessimism, Controlling Structures, Hyperreal, Distopian View of Society, Pastiche, Social Construction of Mental, and the Insanity of Hyperconsumption in Modern Day.