Metamodernism: The Future of Theory | Dr. Jason Ananda Josephson Storm

What comes after the endless critiques of postmodernism? 

Williams College professor Dr. Jason Ananda Josephson Storm joins host PJ Wehry to rethink the trajectory of the human sciences and chart a course for the future of academic theory. 

Dr. Storm, the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Religion and Chair of Science and Technology Studies, unpacks his book, Metamodernism: The Future of Theory. Together they discuss how scholars can move past deconstruction and begin building again. 

In this conversation they explore:

🔷 Why starting with critique is necessary but terminating in critique fails to move conversations forward. 
🔷 How academic disciplines systematically dismantled their own core categories like art, religion, and society. 
🔷 The frustrating cycle of scholarly "turns" that repeat past mistakes without interdisciplinary awareness. 
🔷 Reclaiming the liberal arts as a practical guide for living a life worth having lived. 
🔷 The shift from academic destruction to compassionate philosophy after the birth of his daughter. 
🔷 Critical virtue ethics and the importance of struggling together to build a better world despite pervasive suffering. 

This is a conversation for anyone exhausted by constant skepticism who wants to find constructive ways to engage with society and scholarship. 

Make sure to check out Dr. Storm's book: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/022678665X

Check out our website at chasingleviathan.com 

Who thinks that they can subdue Leviathan? Strength resides in its neck; dismay goes before it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified. Nothing on earth is its equal. It is without fear. It looks down on all who are haughty; it is king over all who are proud. 

These words inspired PJ Wehry to create Chasing Leviathan. Chasing Leviathan was born out of two ideals: that truth is worth pursuing but will never be subjugated, and the discipline of listening is one of the most important habits anyone can develop.

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
5:00 Beyond Postmodernism
10:00 Humanities, Jobs, and Lives Worth Having Lived
15:00 Teaching “The Meaning of Life” and Guiding Students Toward Flourishing
20:00 Epistemic Communities, Self-Deception, and Critical Virtue Ethics
30:23 How Categories Like “Art,” “Religion,” and “Society” Fall Apart
38:38 What Metamodernism Tries to Build
44:11 Academic Incentives, Jargon, and Trying to Do No-Bullshit Philosophy
53:05 The Impact of Fatherhood
1:02:07 Critical Virtue Ethics