Metamodern Critique: Podcast with Brendan Graham Dempsey

Concluding Podcast on Metamodern Meaning

Jan 04, 2025

After many months, the Metamodern Critique has come to an end. I sat down with Brendan Graham Dempsey (be sure to check out his Substack

Brendan Graham Dempsey

) for his Metamodern Meaning podcast and we had an interesting chat about it. Warning: we do get into the weeds. It was a great chance for me to express the concerns that I’ve been exploring in the series.

To be honest: I was surprised to find how much we agreed. Metamodernism is a broad camp it seems. I still think the entire foundational idea of Postmodernism is a bit rocky. While I’m willing to concede (heartily) that we need narratives to give form to our complex realities (maps to help us navigate our territories) I don’t think the Postmodernism one is a good narrative. In comparison to popular science where the scientists will accept the simplified maps of their fields (usually because the popularisers are originally from one of said fields), those who study the (so-called) Postmodern thinkers heartily disagree with the portrait painted of Postmodernism (I’m thinking in particular of the Plastic Pills critique of Metamodernism here).

It’s not what I’d call an Edge of the Inside narrative. With the likes of Peterson, Hicks, and Lindsay championing this “Postmodernism” narrative while those who study the actual thinkers in question vehemently dismissing it, it seems like we’re talking about a dud narrative.

But it’s the miserable child of Omelas that makes Metamodernism possible and so it is a stone that can’t be done without it seems.

In the end, I find myself sympathetic with many of the Metamodern community’s concerns: building new grand narratives that make better worlds and seeking to bridge between the conflicts in our society — not just the subcultural ones (e.g. left vs. right) but the intellectual ones (e.g. faith vs. reason; idealism vs materialism).

While I don’t buy into the name, I admire many of the people working in the community.

The nerds of Metamodernism will love this one.

Hope you enjoy,
James

First instalment of Metamodern Critique series: