Post-Punk and Philosophy: Rip It Up and Think Again

What sort of thing is Post-Punk? Is it merely a musical genre, an artistic movement, or something else altogether? What is the proper role of emotion in the intellectual life? Is any attempt to be cool an inherently losing battle; should I embrace my eccentricities? Does a counterculture need to care about change, or can it simply focus on its art? Are nihilism and love compatible? Is the best way to deal with a bleak worldview simply to embrace it through art? How much should we care (if at all) about the moral failings of the artists whose work we love so much? What exactly is authenticity, and how important is it?

As a result of so much thoughtful artistry and music-making, the editors of this book were fortunate enough to bring together the talented authors whose work comprises it as they raise, clarify, and even attempt to answer some of these questions. Thankfully, their creativity and innovation are worthy of the Post-Punk creatives about which they've written. And, their varied and eclectic perspectives are akin to the variety of influences that led to and help make Post-Punk such a unique and beloved art form.

So, that's how we got here; through and past the downward spiral of Punk's initial wave, alternative rock music came out stronger and even more diverse and compelling with the advent of Post-Punk, and we are now in a position to reflect deeply on the movement as a whole. Perhaps if we think carefully enough about it all, we might even be able to discover where we go from here." (From the editors' introduction, "Well, How Did We Get Here?")