Physicist lampoons humanities scholars.
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Let me get this straight: Sokal writes a bunch of nonsense about reality not being real; then he *falsely* attributes that nonsense to writers like Jacques Derrida or Michel Foucault; and then that is supposed to demonstrate "the charlatanism and nonsense" of Derrida and Foucault? If I write a bunch of nonsense, and then falsely claim that Einstein wrote it -- does that mean I have demonstrated the "charlatanism and nonsense" of Einstein? Could it possibly demonstrate anything at all, other than the fact that these sad guys at Social Text really, really wanted to be "interdisciplinary" and include a scientist in their pages? I have recently (and for the second time) challenged Dr. Sokal to a debate. He has repeatedly claimed that nobody has responded to his challenge to debate this matter. We'll see if he responds this time. I doubt he will. But if any Sokal-admirer wishes to step in and take his place -- to demonstrate the
Posted by Ulrich on Wed Aug 24, 2005 at 01:57 PM
Just in order to not let the wrong claim in the first sentence of the previous comment be uncorrected: Sokal's article did not make up any citations and did not falsely attribute anything; all quotes and citations in his article were accurate, as can be easily checked by comparing with the given original sources. What he did was to draw conclusions from these quotes that were (to a natural scientists understanding: obviously) nonsense; and his criticism of Social Text is about the fact they did not complain or note that his own alleged conclusions (which the article clearly presents as his, not somebody else's, thoughts) ar non sequiturs. What he in the fact also claims that some of the quotes (which were quoted at length, i.e. not torn out of context) contain striking non sequiturs in themselves.
Posted by Simon Anders on Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 12:01 PM
Page 1 of 1 pages
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Let me get this straight: Sokal writes a bunch of nonsense about reality not being real; then he *falsely* attributes that nonsense to writers like Jacques Derrida or Michel Foucault; and then that is supposed to demonstrate "the charlatanism and nonsense" of Derrida and Foucault? If I write a bunch of nonsense, and then falsely claim that Einstein wrote it -- does that mean I have demonstrated the "charlatanism and nonsense" of Einstein? Could it possibly demonstrate anything at all, other than the fact that these sad guys at Social Text really, really wanted to be "interdisciplinary" and include a scientist in their pages? I have recently (and for the second time) challenged Dr. Sokal to a debate. He has repeatedly claimed that nobody has responded to his challenge to debate this matter. We'll see if he responds this time. I doubt he will. But if any Sokal-admirer wishes to step in and take his place -- to demonstrate the
Posted by Ulrich on Wed Aug 24, 2005 at 01:57 PM
Just in order to not let the wrong claim in the first sentence of the previous comment be uncorrected: Sokal's article did not make up any citations and did not falsely attribute anything; all quotes and citations in his article were accurate, as can be easily checked by comparing with the given original sources. What he did was to draw conclusions from these quotes that were (to a natural scientists understanding: obviously) nonsense; and his criticism of Social Text is about the fact they did not complain or note that his own alleged conclusions (which the article clearly presents as his, not somebody else's, thoughts) ar non sequiturs. What he in the fact also claims that some of the quotes (which were quoted at length, i.e. not torn out of context) contain striking non sequiturs in themselves.
Posted by Simon Anders on Thu Jun 01, 2006 at 12:01 PM
Page 1 of 1 pages
