Metanarrative

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We call a metanarrative an event or narrative designed to illuminate or even explain another event; an arch over all events or discourse, providing a transparent and extreme perspective.

Marxism is sometimes characterized as a theory that offers a metanarrative. Traditional religious stories (or events) according to this metanarrative can be understood correctly only if they are considered in the light of the ongoing struggle against human injustice.

According to Marxism, the history of the class struggle is a history of all histories. History in the light of which the meaning of all other narratives are revealed to us.

Postmodernism, according to Jean-François Lyotard, raises suspicions of being a metanarrative. In addition, Lyotard believes that since metanarratives are theories aimed at explaining the totality of things, they too easily begin to serve totalitarianists.

History offers examples of tragic coexistence between totalitarian theories and totalitarian practices.

In this context, it is important to note that each and every ideology aspires to explain the world through one single variable. That is, to point to an alleged perpetrator and an alleged victim. To define the struggle and the red line between the alleged good, and alleged evil.

 

Therefore, we would very much recommend our readers to be extremely careful when listening to politicians and political talks. Qualifying something or someone as absolutely evil, or absolutely pure good is not only wrong, but impossible. One ought to digest information with extreme caution. It does not matter what the source actually is, the most important is whether or not they are telling the truth, or trying to convince you in their political view. Therefore, one must follow all the relevant sources, not only the those in which one hears their own opinion repeteat by talking heads.

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