Fashionable Nonsense Summary of Key Points
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.