Piaget as Metamodernist

The emerging discourse on metamodernism as an answer to the aporia of postmodernism seems to crystalize more and more into coherent and compelling configurations. Different and to some extent divergent conceptions of metamodernism—such as aesthetic sensibility, structure of feeling, cultural phase, political movement, and philosophical paradigm—have been considered by some to be expressions of a common underlying generative structure: that is, a worldview structure or developmental stage of cultural evolution. In this contribution, I will argue that developmentalism is indeed inherent in metamodern thought and that Piaget’s research program of genetic epistemology presents an early exploration of what might be called the metamodern condition. I will outline how the Piagetian project anticipates the principal themes now associated with metamodernism, such as an overcoming of relativism and particularism; a developmental view on ontology, epistemology, and ethics; a reconciliation of facts and values; a normative perspective on knowledge and validity; a relational view on subject/object and subject/subject interaction; a dialectical thinking that synthesizes opposing views; a reconstruction of developmental principles and construction laws; a depth-hermeneutic interpretation of cultural artifacts; an attitude of sincerity and hopefulness; a commitment for a political mission; a spirituality without religion; and, perhaps most significantly, a return of metanarratives.