Alan Sokal, Jean Bricmont
What’s inside
Fashionable Nonsense, written by physicists Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont, is a critical exploration of the misuse of scientific concepts and terminology by some postmodernist intellectuals. The book scrutinizes the writings of prominent figures such as Jacques Lacan, Julia Kristeva, Jean Baudrillard, and Gilles Deleuze, among others. Sokal and Bricmont demonstrate how these intellectuals have employed scientific terms in contexts that are misleading, inaccurate, or nonsensical, arguing that this misuse undermines the credibility of the humanities and social sciences. The authors advocate for clearer thinking and greater intellectual rigor, emphasizing the importance of understanding the sciences properly in humanities discourse.
You’ll Learn
- Enhanced critical thinking towards academic texts and theories
- Improved understanding of the proper use of scientific concepts
- Awareness of the complexities in integrating science and humanities
- Insight into the scholarly debate surrounding postmodernism
Key Points
- Exposing the misuse of scientific terms by postmodern intellectuals
- Critical analysis of specific works by leading postmodern thinkers
- The importance of intellectual rigor and clarity in academic writing
- The impact of scientific illiteracy in humanities scholarship
- Advocating for a respectful integration of science and the humanities
Who’s it For
- Students and scholars of science and humanities
- Critics of postmodernism
- Readers interested in the intersection of science and philosophy
- Those curious about academic controversies
About the author
Alan Sokal is a physicist known for the Sokal Affair, a deliberate submission of a pseudoscientific paper to a cultural studies journal, highlighting the lack of academic rigor in some sectors of the humanities. Jean Bricmont is a physicist and philosopher, focusing on the philosophy of science and the critique of postmodernism. Together, they blend their expertise to critically examine the intersection of science and postmodern thought.