A Fundamentalist - Postmodernist

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

Jan Głowacki A FUNDAMENTALIST-POSTMODERNIST (SIC!)

Source of Image: http://theconversation.com/science-and-religion-co-exist-but-the-games-not-over-yet-1041

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

Jan Głowacki

“A fundamentalist-postmodernist" (SIC!) REFLECTIONS ON THE RELATION OF POSTMODERNISM TO FUNDAMENTALISM AND VICE VERSA Abstract:

"The relations of postmodernism and fundamentalism – the new bridges or restrictions on culture? The reflections on modern culture and religion" The intention of my text is according to the theme - a description, first of all, of the relation of postmodernism and fundamentalism. I examine this issue in the context of a reflection on the contemporary culture and religion. In my work, the concept of fundamentalism and postmodernism thus becomes crucial. The references to the art (eg. film) and all civilization changes of the XX and XXI centuries in general are also inevitable. What are the new bridges in the culture?

What are its (ie. Culture) limits?

Jan Głowacki PhD student in the field of cultural studies at Ignatianum Academy in Krakow

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

At the outset of the work I would like to highlight that, unlike - I think - most people, my attitude towards fundamentalism is generally ambivalent. This does not mean that I ennoble it, but rather that I see in it some positive qualities too. Of course, I do not mean here ("bad") fundamentalism as in case of orthodoxy and intolerance, but rather ("good") fundamentalism, because it also exists, as a kind of canon of ethical standards; this issue I’ll elaborate and explain in the further part of the work.

Contemporary culture and religion (eg. Islam) are often at a certain joint of fundamentalism and postmodernism. Depending on the context, the two currents can be bridges (ie. to build and influence the positive areas of tolerance) or constraints (ie. to encase and somehow to censor) in culture in its broadest sense. These terms should be presented in more details.

FUNDAMENTALISM, as many know, is extremely rich and diverse concept. Of course, this term is most often associated (not coincidentally) with religion, mainly Islam. The common understanding is that it is a term for religious trends and movements of - what is important – e x t r e m e–c o n s e r v a t i v e nature. Every fundamentalism is opposed to any changes or modifications of doctrine (not necessarily religious), rites, customs, etc...

It is worth mentioning that, for example, in Christianity it was represented by some currents of reformation. In Catholicism, for example, it is well reflected in today's world: fundamentalism is, after all, a clear opposition to modernism. Surely, the Catholic Church in a striking (and probably righteous) way decisively criticizes postmodernity in the broad sense (as in other words postmodernism is usually referred to).

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

Orthodox Judaism has, of course, fundamentalist nature as well. However, nowadays, as mentioned, fundamentalism has particularly strong presence mainly in Islam - but this is not a subject of my work.

It is bemusement by fundamentalism that affects the formation of the so-called religious countries in which the Western (ie. liberal) model of democracy and religion is strongly rejected. Thus the great paradox is that this fundamentalism was born in the United States (sic!); about that in a moment.

The ambiguity of fundamentalism results - I believe - from the ambiguity of contexts in which it can be found. However, this name is inextricably associated with the XX century. As noted by Wladyslaw Kopaliński (in spite of everything, authority and expert on the issue) in a book with symptomatic title Dictionary of events, concepts and legends of the XX century (pl: Słownik wydarzeń, pojęć i legend XX wieku): “Fundamentalism is a religious movement that was formed in the 20s of the XX century in the USA from dissident elements of various Protestant denominations; and was based on a literal understanding of biblical content, characterized by unusual zeal and fervor of supporters. (...) After the WW II due to the unpleasant associations connected to the existing name, fundamentalists began to call this movement evangelism [thus perfectly reveals its substantiated ambiguity – J.G.]. In the second half of the XX century fundamentalism is defined as the unpardonable implementation of orthodox religion in the clerical or theocratic way (...)”11.

1

Władysław Kopaliński: Dictionary of events, concepts and legends of the XX century (pl: Słownik wydarzeń,

pojęć i legend XX wieku), Warsaw 2000, p. 129. In addition, the author’ notes: “Fundamentalism is characterized by strict observance of traditional values and uncritical and sometimes fanatical subordination to them. Its objective is the revival of Islam by creating a Muslim state, as in Iran and Sudan. Till the end of the century a bloody struggle for fundamentalist supremacy lasted in Algeria". Ibid.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

It is also worth mentioning, that that fundamentalism (what was marginally indicated by Kopaliński) is associated and coexists with fanaticism. Indeed, fanaticism inherently creates, above all, the synthesis (beyond culture, art ...) with r e l i g i o n. As we can read in Bernhard Welte’s: “Religion as an ideology can transform in yet another extreme form. Then, religious fanaticism may arise. Religious fanaticism may occur when person absolutes his finite will of being oneself in the forms of religion”2.

The core of my work, however, will be consideration of fundamentalism in combination with... postmodernism. It is worth noting that all indicated by me tropes (ie. art, religion, culture... etc.) sound - which is inevitable - precisely in the concept of postmodernism. Of course, this statement is not (and it is!) the main thought, but rather a problem that should be visualized. After all, postmodernism does not become a research area of my work, but only a frame of reference to - broadly defined fundamentalism. Postmodernism is an extremely general concept; today it covers almost e v e r y t h i n g and its “collision” - not even with fundamentalism itself (that to!), but with mass culture, in which this fundamentalism in its own way can penetrate - seems appropriate to me.

Fundamentalism itself, which is, after all, a strict conservative doctrine, stands in opposition to everything “that's new”. The term of postmodernism, which is surely a kind of apotheosis of DIFFERENT modernity (where modernism was an archetype) stands in opposition to fundamentalism for this reason alone; or rather fundamentalism stands in opposition to postmodernism. This means that, in my interpretation, fundamentalism (including religious, for example stereotypically C a t h o l i c) brutally criticizes every otherness, every avant-garde, every innovation.

2

Bernhard Welte: Phylosophy of religion (Filozofia religii), Kraków 1996, p. 248.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

While postmodernism, which is a kind of the quintessence of OTHERNESS, “clashes” with fundamentalism for this reason alone; it is on a completely different pole.

So stereotypical fundamentalist concepts (often equated with standard Catholicism) as: hierarchy, construction, centralization, interpretation, determinism, transcendence and metaphysics are opposed to antifundamentalism, which means the recognition of a new reality, which is postmodernism. hierarchy - anarchy construction - deconstruction centralization - dispersion interpretation - reinterpretation determinism - indeterminism transcendence – immanence metaphysics – irony3.

The faithful reflection of metaphysics is, I believe, the Holy Mass. The Holy Mass, which is the unbloody sacrifice, is also an Eucharist - Eucharist that b u i l d s bridges. The Spirit is present for the world, and at the same time, It is the Spirit of the institutionalized Church and the community of believers. The merit of a Church is re-presentation of the mystery of Its beginning by worshiping and teaching

3

After R. Geisler, cf. I. Hassan: The Culture of Postmodernism, “Theory, Culture and Society” 1985, v. 2.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

about It, and the Christian cause requires the exchange between those who are engaged in it”4.

The opposite of metaphysics is irony, that does not work in the community, and certainly not in hierarchical community, which the Holy Mass is. Irony is a kind of distance to reality, in the form of negation (ridiculing) of its rules. Indeed, postmodernism is a kind of irony, and this is most visible – finally referring to the culture – in the contemporary film. It is no coincidence that I focus attention on the film; because still it is (of all the arts) the most influential and powerful; this will be discussed later in my reasoning.

Postmodernism in the film - using a shortcut - is, generally speaking, the quintessence of EVERYTHING what appeared in art in general; combination of directions, trends, programs, ideas (or their absence), form, content... etc. etc. etc.

In the USA, you can watch literally everything: perfect blockbusters that always have a happy end, as well as intimate and dark ascetic films, that do not resemble anything from Hollywood with their aesthetics. Not coincidentally, a film’ postmodernism was born there (as well as - as I wrote after Kopaliński fundamentalism). Paradoxically, it did not have to evolve, as it has always existed, but not in such impressive form as recently (ie. beginning of the 80th). Where should we look for the archetype of postmodernism in the cinema, who was the precursor to this - sorry for the word - direction of the most important of the arts? The question is slightly rhetorical; it is difficult to answer it clearly. Certainly, directors who create films in the climate of postmodernism are David Lynch, Spike Lee, and Coen brothers or Pedro Almadovar from Europe. However, the creator, who made films almost at

4

E. Brunner – Traut (transl. Jan Doktór): Five great religions of the world (pl: Pięć wielkich religii świata),

Warsaw 1987, p. 129.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

border between American and European cinema, while at the same time is a leading (the most important?) representative of this trend is Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch is still considered as the founder of the avant-garde, the mere choice of the characters that he creates in his films indicates that. His protagonists, as we know, are people from the margins of American life - wanderers, refugees, migrants, looking for a way to confirm the myths and misconceptions about that land. In fact, they are antiheroes who do not derive any gains (ie. success), they set off - this is visible in almost every Jarmusch’ film - to meet the unusual and wonderful just to find out about... nonexistence of this grandeur. Here you can detect a specific relationship with the beatniks avant-garde, since the actors casually talk about the purposes of their trip actually just hint about them, leaving viewers to guess; looking for - as already mentioned - the f u l f i l l m e n t of the m y t h about p r o m i s e d l a n d - a myth that is not coming.

Exactly: “not coming”. And at that moment we come to a specific crux. Most commonly, fulfillment does not come in postmodernism; of course, I slightly simplify the problem and limit myself – in the case discussed by me – only (even!) to the film.

However - as (correctly!) Lenin once said (sic!) – “cinema is the most important of the arts”. The film somehow is a resultant, synthesis, quintessence ... of other arts – and is the most expressive. To sum up: Postmodernism in the cinema is a nonfulfillment!

This would mean that - often, in the general opinion (which I am not presenting!) – the so criticized fundamentalism g i v e s t h e f u l f i l l m e n t. In other words - in its peculiar way - it builds the bridges. You can see this, for example, in religion (which, after all, is often associated, not always right, with fundamentalism); or even better: in faith. But faith is HOPE that even by its mere existence helps a lot.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

"Faith, hope, love, and love among them is the most important thing" - as St. Paul said. As you can see, some (how wonderful!) Christian canon forms an indivisible whole; often - a great shame - this canon became (re)interpreted according to the fashion of - let's call it – the bad fundamentalism.

Because surely (as I marginally signaled in the beginning of the work), there is of course in my definition - "the bad fundamentalism", which is without a doubt a limitation (eg. Orthodoxy) and "the good fundamentalism" (one that builds the bridges, linking the good sides), for example, tradition and certain rule, and the certain ethical principles.

Moreover, we need to indicate that the term "fundamentalism" in itself unfortunately - has usually (almost always) the negative connotations. It is worth explaining that "fundamentalism" (the "good" one - building the good tolerance and bridges) does not have to mean, and does not need to be associated only with fanaticism, orthodoxy and dogmatism, but rather with rigor, conservatism and finally with ... tradition. And again, I have to explain that - in the best sense of the word "conservatism" does not mean "underdevelopment", but rather a "model" and an "ethic canon".

Of course, we cannot criticize the postmodernism as a "whole". The postmodernity can surely be creative and valuable; this is certainly worthy of glorification. The Dubuffet words may, in this case, be the creed: "The urinal art is as important as the work of Leonardo da Vinci". It depends – I would like to add – on what is this "urinal art" like.

So - sorry for the cliché – the postmodernism can be both good and bad; similarly to the fundamentalism - they are in fact very ambiguous concepts. And only the positives build the bridges and the negatives - limitations.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

Therefore - as my work has to be (at least in principle) creative - I would venture, for the purposes of my argument, the very adequate term... the fundamentalist postmodernism. That notion, in my intention, would get only the positives both from the postmodernity, as well as from the fundamentalism - and then, without a doubt, it would build the only friendly for religion and art bridges. It would unite the positives, unify the values.

The postmodernism in today's world is inevitable, paradoxically, a characteristic fundamentalism too. The contemporary (sensitive and at the same time open to the OTHER currents) recipient of art MUST have the ability to choose what is really valuable in art. He must be able to draw and get to know the advantages and good sides of both postmodernism and fundamentalism. In other words, he must become if I may use such a mental shortcut – the fundamental postmodernist (sic!).

A similar problem (in perception of art and its new forms) the eminent art theorist Maria Gołaszewska raises: "Surely, it would not be correct to say that in the face of rapid change of civilization in the XX century the modern person has ceased to even feel the need to aesthetic experiences; in particular, he feels no longer need of beauty (...). The satisfaction of these needs carries particular antinomies that can be considered as a distinctive feature of our times. Noteworthy is the fact that the category of <<art recipient>> is not unitary; it hides many diverse differences. The reason of the crisis in terms of perception of art is both the emergence of new forms of art and the artist's changes of attitude - towards the art, his own work and the recipient. (...) Only the current art, arising at the same time that the recipient lives, has the opportunity to provide him with direct, spontaneous, live experience; even

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

when arouses opposition, it is authentic, it often demonstrates a lack of distance and also the involvement "5.

The ability to look with distance and with involvement to the art (and life) in the same time is the ability to pull all the good qualities (which are, after all!) both from the fundamentalism and the postmodernism; it is the ability to be - in the reception of art (and not only) the fundamentalist-postmodernist – ie. the conservative liberal (in the best sense of the word).

Bibliography: Berhard Welte: Philosophy of religion (pl. Filozofia religii), Krakow 1996 Brunner – Traut E. (transl.. Jan Doktór), Five great religions of the world (pl.

Pięć wielkich religii świata, Warsaw 1987 Gołaszewska M., Aesthetics and anti-aesthetics (pl. Estetyka i antyestetyka), Warsaw 1984 Hassan I., The Culture of Postmodernism, “Theory, Culture and Society” 1985 Kopaliński W., The dictionary of events, concepts and legends of the twentieth century (pl. Słownik wydarzeń, pojęć i legend XX wieku), Warsaw 2000

5

M. Gołaszewska: Aesthetics and anti-aesthetics (pl. Estetyka i antyestetyka), Warsaw 1984, p. 125.

CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) | Jan Głowacki

A FUNDAMENTALIST – POSTMODERNIST (SIC!) / Jan Głowacki.

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CyberEmpathy - Visual and Media Studies Academic Journal ISSUE 10 / 2015 ISSN 2299-906X