Decline And Reconstruction Of Intellectual's Public In The Postmodern View

In modern society, intellectuals assume the role of social science and enlightment hero. But when the postmodern society comes,their vaule suffer suspected, so they are confronted with marginaliazation of social status. Lyotard proposed:there should be no more intellectuals in his paper, through analysising the state of postmodern knowledge, he elaborated the missing of intellectuals public systematically, that is,the process of intellectuals changing from public intellectuals to professional intellectuals.We recongize the severtity of intellectuals problem via Lyotard's intellectual theory. What cause the decadency of intellentuals'public, and after the decadency, what social role is assumed by intellectuals, are the problem we must face. This paper will analyzes Lyotard's theory systematically, use literature research and compasion method, indicate the defect of his theory, and carry on some correponding improvement.The first part is intoduction, relate the origin of this paper's problem and some litetature review, besides resolve the structure and research method of this paper simply. In order to stress the missing of intellectuals'public in Lyotard's opinion, chapter part I of text analysis from the intellectual's public from modern society, study the intellectuals concept etymology, and discuss the public tradition of modern intellectuals. Chapter II is the detailed narration of Lyotard's theory. In this part, present Lyotard's intellectuals theory in detail, analysis the missing reason of intellectuals'public, such as state of knowledge in postmodern society, blight of grand narrative, disappearance of enlightment hero and changing of university and research institute etc, these factors result the missing of intellectual'public in postmodern society. Chapter III is criticizing and inheriting of Lyotard's theory. We must abmit postmodern affect the intellectuals' value, the state of postmodern knowledge--informatization and commercialization, are the reality we must face. But this can not illustrate disappearing of intellectuals'public. In this part, analysis the necessity and possibility of public intellectual in postmodern society. People's barren spirit and value crisis, the inheritance between postmodern and modern, this make us need public intellectuals, so intellectuals should not give up their public. Through coordinating the contradiction of public and professional, handling the relation of power and media, besides bringing writing into play,these are the possible way of professional intellectuals turns to public intellectuals. There is an important mission of post-modern intellectuals, that is, reconstruct the public of intellectuals.