“ The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born ”
Metamodernism: Cultural Dialectics
Metamodernism is a cultural paradigm that has emerged in response to both modernism and postmodernism with the purpose of arriving at a higher-order synthesis. Metamodernism reflects an oscillation between different "cultural logics" such as the modern faith in progress with the postmodern skepticism of grand narratives. Philosophically, metamodernism agree with many postmodern critiques of modernism, however it contends that postmodern deconstruction is purely negative and fails to offer a real alternative. In proposing a way to reconcile the two, metamodernism represents the next stage of the dialectic: a paradigm-shift towards a new epistemology, ontology and ethics for the 21st century.
The History of Cultural Evolution
Modernism: Representing the cultural thesis, Modernism is defined by an enthusiastic belief in progress, science, and universal truth. It posits that through reason and structure, humanity can discern objective reality and build a grand narrative of advancement. It values order, sincerity, and the pursuit of a "utopian" future through technological and social engineering.
Postmodernism: Acting as the cultural antithesis, Postmodernism emerges as a skeptical critique of Modernist certainty. It rejects grand narratives and universal truths, viewing them as tools of oppression. It emphasizes subjectivity, irony, and deconstruction, arguing that reality is socially constructed and fragmented. It is a philosophy of "incredulity" that destabilizes established hierarchies and meanings.
Postmodernism as Anti-modernism (Negativism): This is the metamodern critique of the postmodern condition, viewing it not just as a successor but as a reactionary trap. It argues that postmodernism became purely deconstructive, tearing down structures without offering viable replacements. This "negativism" leads to cynicism, nihilism, and cultural paralysis, where the critique of power becomes so all-consuming that it prevents any constructive resolution or forward movement.
Premodernism or Traditionalism: Traditionalism relies on established customs, religious heritage, and fixed hierarchies to provide meaning. In the metamodern dialectic, it represents a source of deep, rooted sincerity and community connection that Modernism stripped away in its rush for progress, and which Metamodernism seeks to reintegrate without regressing to dogmatism.
Primitivism: the initial condition of human society and now the radical rejection of the civilized/industrial trajectory entirely. Primitivism argues that the shift away from hunter-gatherer lifestyles was a mistake. It romanticizes the "state of nature" and views technology and complex society as inherently alienating. In the dialectic, it serves as a reminder of the biological and ecological roots that techno-centric narratives often ignore.
Related Theories
Technological Meta-Modernism (Reid): Proposed by Stephen Reid, this concept seeks a middle path between techno-utopian "accelerationism" (blind faith in tech progress) and "doomerism" (tech pessimism). It advocates for integrating technological advancement with deep human wisdom, ethics, and ecological stewardship. It asks how we can use tools like AI not just for efficiency, but to enhance relationality, sovereignty, and human wholeness.
Intregral Theory (Wilber): Ken Wilber’s "Theory of Everything" is a meta-framework that attempts to transcend and include all previous stages of human development. It maps human experience into a holistic grid (AQAL: All Quadrants, All Lines) asserting that Pre-modern, Modern, and Postmodern worldviews are not mutually exclusive errors, but necessary developmental steps that must be integrated into a higher-order consciousness.
High-Level Frames
Cultural Dialectics (Dempsey): Articulated by Brendan Graham Dempsey, this views cultural evolution as a recursive spiral. It frames history as a logical progression where the sincerity of Modernism (Thesis) meets the irony of Postmodernism (Antithesis), leading to the Metamodern Synthesis. This synthesis "toggles" between the two, aiming to bind the structural progress of the modern with the critical awareness of the postmodern into a coherent new "cultural logic".
Cultural Paradigms (Kuhn): Applied from Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, this concept describes how cultural worldviews function as paradigms. A paradigm persists until it accumulates too many "anomalies" (unexplainable contradictions) leading to a crisis. Postmodernism is currently in this crisis phase (failing to solve the meaning crisis), and Metamodernism represents the paradigm shift—the new framework emerging to resolve the anomalies of the old world.