oa Het postmoderne nog eens uitgelegd

The term ‘postmodernism’, taken from aesthetics (where ‘modern’ refers to avant-garde art), has been introduced by Lyotard into philosophy (where ‘modern’ means the time after 1600). In this article, its philosophical meaning is first explained by the debate between Lyotard and Habermas, and then explored more systematically. The two domains of philosophy and aesthetics are connected in a philosophy of the sublime, which sets the task for the future: that by evoking the inexpressible we allude to the Transcendent and respect the differences. In a last section some applications and criticisms are made.