The retrieved sources indicate that critics and some philosophical discussions associate postmodern theory with nihilism or note overlapping traits like skepticism and the rejection of metanarratives, but they do not establish that postmodernism strictly entails philosophical nihilism as a universal rule.
The aim of psychology is to understand the human mind and behavior. In contemporary psychology, the method of choice to accomplish this incredibly complex endeavor is the experiment. This dominance has shaped the whole discipline from the self-concept as an empirical science and its very epistemological and theoretical foundations, via research practice and the scientific discourse to teaching. Experimental psychology is grounded in the scientific method and positivism, and these principles, which are characteristic for modern thinking, are still upheld. Despite this apparently stalwart adherence to modern principles, experimental psychology exhibits a number of aspects which can best be described as facets of postmodern thinking although they are hardly acknowledged as such. Many psychologists take pride in being "real natural scientists" because they conduct experiments, but it is particularly difficult for psychologists to evade certain elements of postmodern thinking in view of the specific nature of their subject matter. Postmodernism as a philosophy emerged in the 20th century as a response to the perceived inadequacy of the modern approach and as a means to understand the complexities, ambiguities, and contradictions of the times. Therefore, postmodernism offers both valuable insights into the very nature of experimental psychology and fruitful ideas on improving experimental practice to better reflect the complexities and ambiguities of human mind and behavior. Analyzing experimental psychology along postmodern lines begins by discussing the implications of transferring the scientific method from fields with rather narrowly defined phenomena-the natural sciences-to a much broader and more heterogeneous class of complex phenomena, namely the human mind and behavior. This ostensibly modern experimental approach is, however, <i>per se</i> riddled with postmodern elements: (re-)creating phenomena in an experimental setting, including the hermeneutic processes of
Many psychologists take pride in being “real natural scientists” because they conduct experiments, but it is particularly difficult for psychologists to evade certain elements of postmodern thinking in view of the specific nature of their subject matter. Postmodernism as a philosophy emerged in the 20th century as a response to the perceived inadequacy of the modern approach and as a means to understand the complexities, ambiguities, and contradictions of the times.
Therefore, postmodernism offers both valuable insights into the very nature of experimental psychology and fruitful ideas on improving experimental practice to better reflect the complexities and ambiguities of human mind and behavior. Analyzing experimental psychology along
However, there is resistance against suggestions to incorporate postmodern ideas into the methodology and the self-perception of psychology as academic—and scientific!—discipline. In fact, postmodern approaches are often rejected vehemently, sometimes even very vocally. For instance, Gergen (2001) argued that the “core tenets” of postmodernism are not at odds with those of scientific psychology but rather that they can enrich the discipline by opening up new possibilities.
His suggestions were met with reservation and were even outright rejected on the following grounds: postmodernism, “like anthrax of the intellect, if allowed [our italics] into mainstream psychology, […] will poison the field” ( Locke, 2002 , 458), that it “wishes to return psychology to a prescientific subset of philosophy” ( Kruger, 2002 , 456), and that psychology “needs fewer theoretical and philosophical orientations, not more” ( Hofmann, 2002 , 462; see also Gergen ’s, 2001 , replies to the less biased and more informed commentaries on his article).
The most basic trait is a general skepticism and the willingness to question literally everything from the ground up—even going so far as to question not only the foundation of any idea, but also the question itself. This includes the own context, the chosen premises, thinking, and the use of language. Postmodernism therefore has a lot in common with science’s curiosity to understand the world: the skeptical attitude paired with the desire to discover how things really are.
For example, the often-quoted assumption that postmodernism apparently even denies the existence of gravity or its effects as everything can be interpreted arbitrarily or states that we cannot elucidate these phenomena with adequate accuracy because everything is open to any interpretation ( Sokal, 1996 ), completely misses the point. First, postmodernism is usually not concerned with the laws of physics and the inanimate world as such but rather focuses on the world of human experience.
Even an honest video documentation of a certain event is not simply a copy of the events that took place because it lies within the medium video that only certain sections can be recorded from a certain perspective. Additionally, the playback happens in other contexts as the original event, which may also alter the perception of the viewer. The post-structuralist—an approach closely associated with postmodernism—philosopher Roland Barthes pointed out another important aspect of simulacra.
Although our knowledge of free will has hardly increased, we have gained much insight into the hermeneutics and methodology—and pitfalls!—of investigations of free will, possible consequences on the individual and societal level, and the workings of scientific discourses. And this is exactly what postmodernism is about.
All these aspects did not seep gradually into experimental psychology in the wake of postmodernism but have been present since the very inception of experimental psychology as they are necessarily inherent in its philosophy of science. Given these inherent postmodern traits in experimental psychology, it is puzzling that there is so much resistance against a perceived “threat” of psychology’s scientificness.
... nihilism ” started soon after the term was used the first time . The term is also used in some limited contexts , for in- stance , in the connection with postmodern theory , but again with no clear meaning . There the term simply ...
This encyclopedia offers systematic and sustained coverage of the many dimensions of legal thought and gives expression to the breadth and depth of the philosophy of law.
... entail . The attempt to articulate the nature of what postmodern thought entails is dominated by the pivotal notions ' accomplished nihilism ' ( il nichilista compiuto ) and ' weak ( in the sense of modest ) philosophiz- ing ' ( il ...
This Biographical Dictionary provides detailed accounts of the lives, works, influence and reception of thinkers from all the major philosophical schools and traditions of the twentieth-century. This unique volume covers the lives and careers of thinkers from all areas of philosophy - from analytic philosophy to Zen and from formal logic to aesthetics. All the major figures of philosophy, such as Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Russell are examined and analysed. The scope of the work is not merely restricted to the major figures in western philosophy but also covers in depth a significant number of thinkers from the near and far east and from the non-European Hispanic-language communities. The Biographical Dictionary also includes a number of general entries dealing with important schools of p
Gianni Vattimo is an Italian postmodern and nihilistic philosopher and political activist. He is one of the most influential Italian and Western philosophers in the interpretation of Nietzsche’s philosophy. It was he who brought Nietzsche and Heidegger to the center of philosophical research in Italy in the late 1970s. Vatimo’s continuous dialogue with Nietzsche and the Nietzschean tradition is multifaceted. Of course, this aspect adds other branches to our study of Vatimo’s view of Nietzsche’s nihilism, including Vatimo’s discussion of hermeneutics, truth, and morality. The research also shows that the Nietzsche discussed by Vatimo is closer to an Italian Vatimo than to French or German philosophy. Vatimo’s interpretations of Nietzsche’s nihilism do not open the same philosophical doors as his contemporaries in the West. Because in Vatimo’s interpretations, Nietzsche presents himself as a revolutionary political and social philosopher and produces a new hermeneutics within Nietzsche’s nihilism called hermeneutical nihilism, which is linked to the discussions of modernity and postmodernity. To interpret nihilism according to Italian Nietzsche, we need to interpret the concept of weak thought, which is important to Vattimo. Because Vatimo’s concept of Nietzsche’s nihilism is related to other concepts of nihilism, therefore, in this research we will focus more on the aspect that Nietzsche’s nihilism according to Vatimo is the nihilism that makes Vatimo the Nietzsche of Italy. We have also reached several conclusions in the research, the most important of which is that the research is an attempt to investigate Nietzsche’s nihilism in Vatimo’s philosophy, which has opened the way for Vatimo to criticize Western modernity.Therefore, we ask: What are the metaphysical foundations of modern society that Vatimo rejects? What does the term postmodernism mean in Vatimo’s hermeneutic nihilism? To answer these questions, we will focus on three themes that are meaningful in Vatimo’s thought about Nietzsche’s nihilism: hermeneutics, postmodernism, and weak thought.
Purpose. This study explores the underestimated potential of postmodern philosophy to understand a modern human and their priorities, particularly through the interpretation of the idea of the "self-made man" (an individual who creates oneself). Through a comparative analysis, the paper examines the conceptualization of human formation as a self-made man in the Enlightenment era and postmodernity context. Theoretical basis. The study is based on analytical and generalizing methods, as well as the works of M. Foucault, J. Baudrillard, J.-F. Lyotard, U. Eco, etc. Originality. Despite the claims regarding narrow opportunities for individual self-determination in postmodernity, the ideal of the "self-made man" remains an integral component of philosophical reflection. It is demonstrated that the postmodern delegitimation of Enlightenment metanarratives entails the rejection of metaphysical discourse. Within this framework, metanarratives gradually lose their appeal, while individuals are increasingly compelled to rely on themselves and independently determine their priorities. People act regardless of their social status, define the goals and sense of their existence, and choose the means of achieving them. The process of becoming a person unfolds in social transformations, the growing complexity of democratic institutions, and the emancipation of individuals seeking to make their lives more meaningful. Conclusions. The search for human emancipation encompasses several stages of social and mental development through self-determination and self-realization, where new attempts to reveal human creative potential emerge. Despite the diversity of approaches, postmodern philosophy demonstrates that the idea capable of uniting humanity lies in the aspiration toward a full existence of the individual as a self-sufficient being. Such understanding of personality, experience, and uniqueness creates more favorable conditions for the formation and realization of one’s own concept o
The Idea of the "Self-Made Man" and the Philosophy of Postmodernism | Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research The Idea of the "Self-Made Man" and the Philosophy of Postmodernism Authors O. M. Korkh University of Customs and Finance, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7175-5011 V. V. Khmil Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4710-6681 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15802/ampr.v0i29.365977 Keywords: individual, personality, self-made man, self-realization, self-affirmation, self-determination, modernity, postmodernity, metanarratives Abstract Purpose.
Despite the claims regarding narrow opportunities for individual self-determination in postmodernity, the ideal of the "self-made man" remains an integral component of philosophical reflection. It is demonstrated that the postmodern delegitimation of Enlightenment metanarratives entails the rejection of metaphysical discourse. Within this framework, metanarratives gradually lose their appeal, while individuals are increasingly compelled to rely on themselves and independently determine their priorities. People act regardless of their social status, define the goals and sense of their existence, and choose the means of achieving them.
In Filosofsko-antropolohichni chytannia’99 (pp. 60-73). Kyiv: Stylos. (in Ukrainian) De Keere, K. (2014). From a self-made
Kant’s Philosophy and the Idea of the Self-Made-Man. Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research, (25), 124-132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15802/ampr.v0i25.307669 (in English) Leckelt, M., König, J., Richter, D., Back, M. D., & Schröder, C. (2022). The personality traits of self-made and inherited millionaires. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01099-3 (in English) Lillie, K., & Tisch, D. (2026). A 'Self-Made' Billionaire? Gender and the Myth of Meritocratic Wealth. Sociology, 60(1), 229-242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385251380755 (in English) Lukasik, J. (2023).
Postmodernism – the main ideas and their social and political implications. Scientific Notes of Ostroh Academy National University, Philosophy Series, (25), 30-38. (in Ukrainian) Lyotard, J.-F. (1984). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (G. Bennington & B. Massumi, Trans.). University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved from https://cssplatformbytha.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The-Postmodern-Condition-A-Report-on-Knowledge-Jean-Francois-Lyotard.pdf (in English) Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a Psychology of Being (2nd ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. (in English) Paul, H. (2014). Expressive Individualism and the Myth of the Self-Made Man.
In The Myths That Made America: An Introduction to American Studies (pp. 367-420). transcript Verlag. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxsdq.11 (in English) Shabanova, Y. O. (2023). Metamodern in the ideological interaction of modernity and postmodern. In Worldview explications of modernism and postmodernism: Scientific monograph (pp. 248-272). Riga, Latvia: Baltija Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-357-6-14 (in Ukrainian) Smalko, L., & Panchenko, V. (2020). The Idiom Self-Made Man as a Concept and a Token of the American Culture: Historical Background and Linguocultural Aspect. Linguostylistic Studies, (12), 194-202.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29038/2413-0923-2020-12-194-202 (in English) Downloads PDF Published 2026-06-30 How to Cite Korkh, O. M., & Khmil, V. V. (2026). The Idea of the "Self-Made Man" and the Philosophy of Postmodernism. Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research , (29), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.15802/ampr.v0i29.365977 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Issue No. 29 (2026) Section ANTHROPOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY License Copyright (c) 2026 O. M. Korkh, V. V.
kind of nihilism, but exactly what kind of nihilism he espouses is not clear. Nietzsche’s nihilism appears … science. Nearly all assume that postmodernism entails anarchy, nihilism and relativism. What they fail … Acknowledgments 1 Modernism, Postmodernism, and Feminism 2 Rational/Irrational I Postmodernism and Rationality Gadamer
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