Deconstructing Politics: A Comparative Study of Derrida, Lyotard, Rorty, and Baudrillard

Postmodernism has emerged as one of the most influential yet controversial intellectual trends of the late twentieth century, significantly reshaping discussions in political science. As a reaction against Enlightenment rationality, positivist science, and modernist conceptions of progress, postmodernism challenges the idea of universal truths, objective inquiry, and stable categories of political life. This paper examines the entry of postmodernism into political science, its philosophical lineage, and its implications for understanding power, discourse, identity, and democracy. The contributions of leading thinkers—including Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Jean-François Lyotard, Richard Rorty, and Jean Baudrillard—are discussed to highlight how postmodernism has unsettled conventional approaches. The paper also traces the impact of postmodernism on international relations, where it has redefined debates on sovereignty, security, and globalization. While postmodernism has offered valuable insights into pluralism and critical inquiry, it has also been critiqued for relativism, textual obscurity, and its reluctance to provide normative direction. The conclusion suggests that although postmodernism does not furnish fixed political solutions, it remains crucial for expanding critical perspectives and interrogating hidden structures of domination within political life.