It would have taken me 30 minutes to write this.
Grok did it in 20 seconds:
Q: What is Stephen Hicks’s position on postmodernism?
A: Stephen Hicks, a Canadian-American philosopher, is a prominent critic of postmodernism. In his book Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault (2004), he argues that postmodernism is a problematic intellectual movement rooted in skepticism about reason, reality, and truth, combined with a politically motivated rejection of Enlightenment values.
Hicks contends that postmodernists—such as thinkers like Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Richard Rorty—deny the existence of objective truth and embrace a radical relativism, where knowledge and morality are seen as mere constructs of power or social agreement. He traces the origins of postmodernism to earlier philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Nietzsche, but he sees it fully realized in 20th-century leftist thought. According to Hicks, postmodernism is not just a philosophical stance but a strategic retreat by socialist intellectuals after the failures of Marxism, shifting their focus from economic arguments to cultural and linguistic critiques of capitalism and Western society.
He accuses postmodernism of intellectual dishonesty, suggesting it uses skepticism selectively to undermine confidence in reason and science while advancing an anti-individualist, collectivist agenda. Hicks contrasts this with his own advocacy for reason, individualism, and free-market principles, often aligned with Objectivist philosophy (influenced by Ayn Rand).
In short, Hicks views postmodernism as a corrosive force that abandons rational inquiry and threatens the foundations of a free, objective, and prosperous society. His critique has sparked debate, with supporters praising his clarity and critics arguing he oversimplifies or misrepresents postmodern thinkers.
