Normalismus und Antagonismus in der Postmoderne

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The compound terms formed with “post-” — from Postmodernity to Postcrisis as the New Normal — reflect a theoretical helplessness. These terms suggest a return to normalcy after a series of early 21st-century crises while acknowledging that the old normalcy is irretrievably lost. To explore this, the study introduces concepts such as normalism, interdiscourse, and collective symbolism. Emphasizing Michel Foucault’s notion of a theoretical toolbox, it presents a new operational concept of antagonism, defined as a dynamic of irreversible de-normalization. This framework allows for a fresh interpretation of categories like Postmodernity and New Normal. The study engages with perspectives that deny antagonism in Postmodernity (e.g., Fukuyama) and those proposing new forms of antagonism (e.g., Negri and Hardt, Laclau and Mouffe, Rancière). It analyzes the series of crises post-2001, especially after 2007, covering the financial, Euro, refugee, and populism crises. The proposed analytical approach is effective for examining the influence of media and political discourses on normalization and denormalization. It culminates in a processual scheme of the crises and a redefined notion of populism based on normalism. Additionally, it considers alternative “transnormalistic” solutions to the crisis, complemented by short literary essays on contemporary antagonisms from authors like Camus, Bernhard, and King.