ABSTRACT
The fragmentation of modernity and postmodern condition describe societies characterized by moral ambiguity and where there is no recognized objective truth. For many an extremely negative and nihilistic vision. Because, if there is no such thing as the ‘truth of the human condition’, it is clearly difficult to formulate an argument in support of basic human rights or to locate legitimate foundations for criminal justice. It is a complex world where boundaries between criminals and non-criminals and legal and illegal activities have become increasingly difficult to distinguish and the classic crime control methods of modernity are problematic. It has been argued that these changes should be seen as part of a paradigm shift towards a ‘new penology’, itself symptomatic of a broader transition towards a risk society. This chapter explores essential issues such as the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis which proposes that it is the cultural and religious identities of people that will be the primary source of conflict in the immediate future and where the notion of post-truth refers to a contemporary anxiety about who has the authority to be a legitimate public truth-teller in fragmented modernity.
