Wikipedia defines postmodern philosophy as: "an eclectic and elusive movement characterized by the postmodern criticism and analysis of Western philosophy." That's nice, but it really doesn't get to the heart of Postmodern Philosophy. When I ask my (anonymous) philosophy major friends what it is, they usually dismiss it as relativism or Nihilism. (This makes me sad that not even philosophy majors can describe what postmodern philosophy is).

The source I find who gives the best definition is my former philosophy professor, Dr. Martino. He once described it to me as (paraphrased): the decentralization of truth knowledge and ethics. This is a great start. Postmodern philosophy is not out to destroy what 2,600 years of Philosophy has built up; it is simply here to challenge it. By dismissing postmodern philosophy as relativism or nihilism, one only shows a superficial understanding of what this philosophy is all about.

Whereas nihilism denounces any truth, postmodern philosophy seeks truth in different places or overlooked dimensions. Whereas relativism views all things with a great degree of truth, Postmodern Philosophy is critical of this assumption.

The biggest characteristic of this philosophy is the criticism of dualistic views in tradtional Western Philosophy. Post-modernism claims that the ultimate source of knowledge cannot be found in the logos, but in the discourse itself. This is the decentralization that takes place in postmodern philosophy. People often confuse it with relativism and nihilism, I think, because they are still thinking in a modern paradigm.

There is often a problematic contradiction that "extreme" postmodern philosophers have. By whole-heartedly attacking modernism and proposing postmodernism as better and more correct, they have made a value judgment and indoctrinated truth. Yes, the literature of postmodernism is not perfect, but all humans carry imperfection.

I feel that the fallacy of radical postmodern theorists is that postmodernism has to replace modern thought. In my opinion, it simply adds a new dimension and has the potential to make the conversation of philosophy more accessable to everyone.

Try not to think of Postmodern Philosophy (as scary as the word sounds) as some high-flown, abstract theory. Think of it as a historical response or movement. As our technology develops and the world around us changes, we need to re-evaluate, redefine, and rethink the common assumptions we carried before and move into a new stage of thought. And that's what Postmodern Philosophy is about.