The persons and modes of thinking aggregated under the category of postmodernism are quite heterogeneous in regard to content, concerns, style. In this articic the author deals with the question, if and to what extent it is meaningful to analyse educational concepts in the light of postmodern thinking. The author demonstrates some positive suggestions and also limitations of radical critics of postmodernism for pedagogy. The postmodernists encourage to create alternative modes of thinking and practice. Simultaneously the autor insists on the position, that it is not necessary to reject all fundamental principles of modern educational science. The article emphasises the idea of educational optimism and the importance of the theorctical thinking for the educational practice.