Fighting the Fog: A Criticism of Postmodernism

Abstract

This article counters the supportive treatment of postmodernism by Fenwick English in this issue. Key concepts of postmodern-poststructural thought are presented and criticized. They are the rejection of the metaphysics of presence and metanarratives, conjoined with an emphasis on textualism and deconstruction. Such a view is seen as opaque and seriously flawed with little to offer either philosophy or educational administration. An alternative perspective based on a version of naturalistic-pragmatist philosophy is then briefly sketched with special attention to issues of epistemology and ethics. This perspective is shown to have genuine relevance to educational administration.