RT - Journal Article T1 - Lyotard’s Aesthetic Confrontation with Political Modernity JF - kimiahonar YR - 2017 JO - kimiahonar VO - 6 IS - 23 UR - http://kimiahonar.ir/article-1-1093-en.html SP - 25 EP - 39 K1 - avant-garde art K1 - political modernity K1 - subjugation instrumentalism K1 - radical democracy AB - This paper would evaluate this hypothesis that Lyotard, while admitting the subjugating aspects of political modernity, still sees the aesthetic transgression of its dysfunctions and shortages possible. To better proceed with such evaluation, I need first to find components in his thought that are in harmony with political modernity and then to compare such components with his aesthetic approach. Lyotard does not perspicuously speak about political modernity; therefore, I should commence the argumentative process of this article by developing a model in the framework of which I can better illuminate his conception of the components of political modernity as well as his understanding of its shortcomings and subjugating aspects. This should be done by finding and sorting out of those components in his thought that are in harmony with political modernity. The hypothesis of this article is not tautological and is clearly against the prevailing interpretations that believe in the cultural transformation of aesthetics in the thought of Lyotard. Elaboration on Lyotard`s writings, along with the application of Lovejoy’s method of “history of ideas” in a conceptual framework that regards political modernity as the supremacy of right and self-determination to subjugation, leads us to the finding that Lyotard, believing in the supremacy of subjugation to right and self-determination in political modernity, is a critic of this situation. On the one hand, he regards political modernity and its extreme and totalitarian subjugation as an obstacle to the creation of avant-garde art, and on the other hand, he establishes a two-way correlation between this art and radical democracy, as an alternative to political modernity. LA eng UL http://kimiahonar.ir/article-1-1093-en.html M3 ER -