Postmodern Philosophy is a philosophical direction that is critical of the foundational assumptions and structures of philosophy. Postmodern philosophy is skeptical or nihilistic toward many of the values and assumptions of philosophy that derive from modernity, such as humanity having an essence that distinguishes humans from animals, or the assumption that one form of government is demonstrably better than another. It is usually associated with the following philosophical trends: nihilism and relativism, neo-marxism, neo-pragmatism, and neo-existentialism.