Metamodernism and Me! (You?)
Beyond Oscillations in Irony and Sincerity Here We Are
So now that we have our heads around dialectics, it's probably a good time to introduce metamodernism into our conversation, as, hot take alert, I think that Here We Are is an exemplary study of metamodern insights. Metamodernism is a relatively new critical lens that arrives at meaning through the use of two different lenses (naturally enough for metamodernism, the lenses it uses in its bifocals are modernism and postmodernism) in a dialectical process. It positions modernism, with its emphasis on reason, progress, objective truths, and universal narratives, as the initial thesis. Postmodernism then emerges as the antithesis, deconstructing modernist thought through a lens of critique that highlights complexities, contradictions, and the plurality of perspectives in human experience.
I find it useful to think of the core dynamic of metamodernism as a sinusoidal waveform, with the y-axis representing a spectrum between the poles of sincerity and irony, and the x-axis representing the progression of time. At its core, metamodernism oscillates between these two poles in a continual cycle. From modernism, metamodernism inherits a sincere pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and universal truths, which is represented by the peaks of the waveform. However, it tempers this sincerity with postmodernism's ironic self-awareness and acknowledgment of reality's fragmented, constructed nature, which is represented by the troughs of the waveform.
Metamodernism seeks to synthesize these opposing impulses, reconstructing and expanding upon the modernist thesis by integrating postmodern critiques and perspectives. That is to say, an accounting for the things that disprove the thesis gets integrated into the synthesis - making the metamodern evaluation a powerful tool for determining "fitness" of a given reading. The result is a new, more nuanced stance that can then be subjected to further evaluation and synthesis as the dialectical process continues, perpetuating the oscillating pattern of the waveform.
The diagram traces the movement through these phases, marking critical moments where tension between these ideas catalyzes the metamodern process of sublation. This sublation integrates aspects of both modernism and postmodernism to form a new synthesis, which then serves as the starting point for the next cycle of the waveform. This continuous motion captures metamodernism's approach to navigating between sincerity and irony, constantly engaging with both to form a richer, more nuanced understanding.
This sinusoidal oscillation between sincere pursuit and ironic detachment allows metamodernism to appreciate the complexities of individual human experience while still maintaining an earnest drive towards deeper understanding. The metamodern paradigm can be characterized as a continual cycling through this waveform, perpetually constructing theses, deconstructing them through postmodern lenses of critique and irony, and reconstructing more inclusive, holistic syntheses infused with sincere yearning for truth and meaning.
Significantly, if we examine these metamodern processes through the metaphor of waveforms, we can identify harmonies, disharmonies, and chords emerging from the infinite viewpoints and narratives one could consider for any given situation or phenomenon. Just as multiple oscillating waveforms can constructively and destructively interfere to produce complex patterns, the interplay of metamodern perspectives and syntheses can give rise to consonances and dissonances. Some narratives may align in harmony, their waveforms resonating sympathetically, while others clash in disharmonious discord. The ability to analyze these waveform interactions allows metamodernism to identify consonant chords of mutually reinforcing truths and revelatory harmonies across diverse experiences. Conversely, it can also pinpoint dissonant disharmonies that signal deeper inconsistencies, contradictions, or blind spots requiring further integration and synthesis. This metaphorical framework provides for a more comprehensive, nuanced understanding of reality – one that acknowledges both the unifying chords and the jarring disharmonies of human experience. By continually scrutinizing these waveform interactions, metamodernism can refine its rhythms, finding new resonances and resolving conceptual dissonances in its perpetual pursuit of sublime synthesis.
It's important to note that while the simple sinusoidal waveform provides a foundational metaphor for metamodernism's core oscillation between sincerity and irony, the philosophy's full multidimensional richness suggests an underlying composite waveshape of far greater complexity. However, we can leverage the insights of Fourier analysis to deconstruct even the most intricate metamodern "waveform" into its constituent sinusoidal components.
Through Fourier transformation, metamodernism's dynamic navigation of multiple philosophical dualities like reason/emotion, universality/relativism, and structure/deconstruction can be modeled as a Fourier summation of individual sinusoidal oscillations along each conceptual axis. So while the overall metamodern dynamic may appear highly complex on the surface, it remains fundamentally an integration and synthesis of various underlying binary oscillations between opposing principles. This preserves the intuitive power of the simple sinusoid to metaphorically capture the back-and-forth tension, while providing an extensible framework to account for added dimensionality emerging from the interactions between these component modes.
Viewed through this Fourier lens, Here We Are can be seen as giving embodied expression to the harmonics, resonances and dissonances arising from the interplay of these myriad sinusoidal oscillations. The play's innovative dialecticism, exemplified by moments like Marianne's pluralistic dialogue with the Bishop, arises from its deft synthesis of multiple coexisting philosophical frequencies into a cohesive yet irreducibly pluralistic metamodern symphony
The sinusoidal waveform analogy also suggests an inherent periodicity or cyclical nature to metamodernism's oscillations between poles of duality (irony/sincerity, reason/emotion, etc) as it constructs, deconstructs, and reconstructs inclusive syntheses. However, reflection reveals that in our era of ubiquitous digital stimulation and an overabundance of content vying for attention, we risk disrupting this natural periodicity through our own patterns of consumption and engagement. The perpetual deluge of novelty and distraction brought about by social media, streaming services, and the general acceleration of information flows can interrupt our capacity to fully integrate new perspectives into cohesive and holistic syntheses. Without adequate time to resonate and process emerging narratives, we may fail to identify the deeper harmonies and dissonances.
You may have noticed that this rhymes with the constant interruptions of the characters in the road songs in Here We Are - the abbreviated conversational snippets the characters play continually interrupt each other - nobody can fully realize their goal nor can they recognize the private dramas that are playing out around them. Like the unfulfilling restaurnats before them, this provides another layer of implication of the audience. We constantly find ourselves bombarded by viral memes, hot takes, and content optimized for ephemeral engagement, which may risk metamodernism's oscillations devolving into a sort of randomized, stochastic fluctuation divorced from their innate periodic rhythm within our own lived experiences. The natural wavelengths and resonant frequencies get drowned out by uncurated noise. As such, a key challenge illuminated by the metamodern paradigm is the need for us to preserve our ability to genuinely engage with new theses and antitheses, allowing them to play out over their full periodic cycles of sincere pursuit, ironic critique, and holistic reintegration - without being thrown into dysrhythmic chaos by our cultural climate of incessant distraction and FOMO.
This dialectical movement towards an inclusive, open-ended synthesis is embodied by Marianne's pivotal dialogue with the Bishop. In this encounter, Marianne does not seek a singular existential truth, but rather accepts and integrates the plurality of perspectives the Bishop offers on the nature of being. This scene represents a key instance of "sublation" - the metamodern transcendence of rigid thesis/antithesis binaries in favor of a nuanced, pluralistic middle-ground.
By staging this metamodern philosophy of balanced, continual integration, "Here We Are" does more than just deconstruct consumerist culture. It models a path towards engaged, thoughtful participation for both artists and audiences - one that embraces the coexistence of sincere ideals and ironic detachment as a perpetual, progressive rhythm. The waveforms of modernist and postmodern sensibilities are shown not just clashing, but interacting in complex harmonies and dissonances. While consumption and capitalism's destruction both ring ultimately hollow, the play discerns resonant truths about the shared human yearning for meaning undergirding each of these failed theses.
Ultimately, "Here We Are" is an artistic embodiment of the metamodern ethos - one that simultaneously celebrates and subverts the artistic and existential quest. By framing its innovative exploration of theater as an eternal cycling between theses and antitheses, it positions metamodernism as a path towards transcending such entrenched binaries through the continual integration of new vantage points. The play's ability to impart this pluralistic, open-ended understanding is perhaps its most resonant and dialectically-riveting quality.