Nietzsche's Prophecy: The Crisis in Meaning

Nietzsche's prophecy has come to haunt us in our day, says cultural critic Harvey Sarles. The postmodern age is a completely unscripted era, a time that has no generally recognized framework for meaning, when even the search for meaning itself is called into question. Using poetically phrased aphorisms, Sarles probes the many ways in which we currently grope for meaning, emphasizing that answers and even a sense of direction seem unavailable in the current social and historical moment. He examines not only the what but also the why of meaning, explores how this crisis developed, and offers some paths for resolution. Among the many contemporary trends, he sees a new and emergent form of Pragmatism, which may portend a positive and progressive future.