Modern Postmodern

rational irrational

scientific anti-scientific or unscientific

utopian, elitist, belief in universal values populist claim, local values only

democratic feminist and minority hegemony

hierarchical anarchical

organized non-totalized, chaotic, fragmented

centered dispersed

European, Western "multicultural"

generalizing non-generalizing

determinate indeterminate

objective subjective

objectivist values, masterpieces values determined socially and individually

formal disciplines informal, undisciplined

purposeful, meaningful meaningless or purely subjective meaning

construction destruction

belief in progress no progress possible

theoretical concrete, non-theorizing

analytical & synthetic non-analytical, rhetorical, based on belief

simplicity, elegance, spartan, streamlined decoration, elaboration, convoluted, evasive

logical, scientific illogical, superstitious, opinion based

cause-effect chance

linear haphazard, "nonlinear"

harmonious, integrated non-integrated

permanence transience

abstract concrete

communicative, prefer to be understood prefer to be arcane

unified, coherent eclectic, incoherent

objective truth truth is socially constructed

apolitical to occasionally political politicizes everything

disciplines primarily indifferent to power struggles political power is of primary concern

reality is not anthropocentric reality is socially constructed and anthropocentric