The Shaky High Moral Ground of Postmodernist “Ethics”

Hölscher’s (2005) question, “Does postmodernism have a moral, ethical and values base?” appearsas something of a paradox. But, as she rightly recognises, she is not the first to ask the question. Inposing this question, Hölscher is merely following a long line of scholars, including Bauman,whose Postmodern Ethics (1993) form the theoretical backdrop to her discussion, and Foucault,whose ideas have been more influential than Bauman’s on social work thinking (Chambon, Irving& Epstein, 1999; Hugman, 2003, 2005). In the social sciences Bauman (1995), Benhabib (1992),Foucault (2000) and Young (1990) have grappled with the implications of postmodernism forethics and morality. In social work Atherton and Bollard (2003), Gray (1995), Hugman (2003,2005), Parton (1994) and Walker (2001), among others, have critically examined the ethicalimplications of the so-called “postmodern turn” in social work. In this paper the authors draw onthe work of Berman (2000) in trying to unravel the high moral ground of postmodernism; engagein a re-evaluation of the impact of key figures in modern Western philosophy such as Wittgensteinand, especially, Habermas; and consider the implications of their work for social work