Date: Wed, 04 Sep 1996 15:34:16 -0600
Subject: SCIENCE-AS-CULTURE Digest - 2 Sep 1996 to 3 Sep 1996


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Subject: SCIENCE-AS-CULTURE Digest - 2 Sep 1996 to 3 Sep 1996

There are 2 messages totalling 147 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. The Sokal incident rationally considered (2)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 2 Sep 1996 15:53:44 -0700
From:    H-NEXA Editor Michael Gregory <mgreg-AT-WELL.COM>
Subject: The Sokal incident rationally considered

Date: 02 Sep 96 16:38:59 EDT
From: "Alan J. Friedman" <71062.3706-AT-CompuServe.COM>
To: H-NEXA Editor Michael Gregory <mgreg-AT-well.com>
Subject: Re: The Sokal Matter

Mike:

Here's my 2 cents worth (wonder where that image came from--price of a stamp in
the 1920's?) on "The Sokal Matter."

I think the humanities folks are overreacting, and making Dr. Sokal's nasty
prank seem more important that it is.  Some highly visible scientists are
feeling beleaguered, and lashing out at critics everywhere.  These attacks take
the form of  intemperate, ill-mannered, and often irrational attacks on the
humanities, social sciences, and historians.  The great heat and furor over a
modestly critical exhibit, "Science in American Life" at the Smithsonian, is
typical.  Neither the public nor most scientists care, yet the complaining
scientists are somehow pleased that they have caused pain.

I think the origins of these attacks lie in a genuine and justified fear of the
influence of pseudoscientists (creationism), the anti-science stance of the far
right, and the failure of science itself to command federal funds like it used
to (the cancellation of the superconducting supercollider).

The scientists who are leading these attacks are themselves overly emotional,
and generally irrational in their furor.  The people they are attacking
(academics in the humanities and museum historians) are not real threats; but
the scientists do not know how to begin attacking the real dangers to
science--the religious right, ultra-conservative politicians, ill-trained
teachers, charlatans and pseudoscientists.

I just don't see the point in spending much time analyzing pranks like Sokal's.
Of course it is easier to create a hoax in the humanities than it is in the
"hard" sciences--what's new in that?

The angry scientists do not care how the humanities respond; the public is
disinterested in the whole matter; and in the meantime the real enemies of
rational analysis (in both the humanities and the sciences) keep winning school
board elections and seats in Congress.  We need to concentrate on the real
threats, and stop wasting time trashing each other.

                Alan
                ************************************
                Alan J. Friedman
                New York Hall of Science
                47-01 111th Street
                Flushing Meadows Corona Park
                New York 11368

                Phone:  (718) 699-0005 ext 316
                Fax:      (718) 699-1341
                E-Mail:  71062.3706-AT-compuserve.com

                Message prepared 9/2/96, 4:31 PM


Michael Gregory
Editor, H-NEXA: The Science-Humanities Convergence Forum

------------------------------

Date:    Wed, 4 Sep 1996 09:44:45 +0800
From:    Baber Zaheer <socbz-AT-LEONIS.NUS.SG>
Subject: Re: The Sokal incident rationally considered

On Mon, 2 Sep 1996, H-NEXA Editor Michael Gregory wrote:

> Date: 02 Sep 96 16:38:59 EDT
> From: "Alan J. Friedman" <71062.3706-AT-CompuServe.COM>
> To: H-NEXA Editor Michael Gregory <mgreg-AT-well.com>
> Subject: Re: The Sokal Matter
>
> Mike:
>
> Here's my 2 cents worth (wonder where that image came from--price of a stamp
 in
> the 1920's?) on "The Sokal Matter."
>
> I think the humanities folks are overreacting, and making Dr. Sokal's nasty
> prank seem more important that it is.  Some highly visible scientists are
> feeling beleaguered, and lashing out at critics everywhere.  These attacks
 take
> the form of  intemperate, ill-mannered, and often irrational attacks on the
> humanities, social sciences, and historians.  The great heat and furor over a
> modestly critical exhibit, "Science in American Life" at the Smithsonian, is
> typical.  Neither the public nor most scientists care, yet the complaining
> scientists are somehow pleased that they have caused pain.
>
> I think the origins of these attacks lie in a genuine and justified fear of
 the
> influence of pseudoscientists (creationism), the anti-science stance of the
 far
> right, and the failure of science itself to command federal funds like it used
> to (the cancellation of the superconducting supercollider).
>
> The scientists who are leading these attacks are themselves overly emotional,
> and generally irrational in their furor.  The people they are attacking
> (academics in the humanities and museum historians) are not real threats; but
> the scientists do not know how to begin attacking the real dangers to
> science--the religious right, ultra-conservative politicians, ill-trained
> teachers, charlatans and pseudoscientists.
>
> I just don't see the point in spending much time analyzing pranks like
 Sokal's.
> Of course it is easier to create a hoax in the humanities than it is in the
> "hard" sciences--what's new in that?
>
> The angry scientists do not care how the humanities respond; the public is
> disinterested in the whole matter; and in the meantime the real enemies of


"disinterested" does not quite mean what you try to make it mean in this
context.




> rational analysis (in both the humanities and the sciences) keep winning
 school
> board elections and seats in Congress.  We need to concentrate on the real
> threats, and stop wasting time trashing each other.
>
>                 Alan
>                 ************************************
>                 Alan J. Friedman
>                 New York Hall of Science
>                 47-01 111th Street
>                 Flushing Meadows Corona Park
>                 New York 11368
>
>                 Phone:  (718) 699-0005 ext 316
>                 Fax:      (718) 699-1341
>                 E-Mail:  71062.3706-AT-compuserve.com
>
>                 Message prepared 9/2/96, 4:31 PM
>
>
> Michael Gregory
> Editor, H-NEXA: The Science-Humanities Convergence Forum
>

------------------------------

End of SCIENCE-AS-CULTURE Digest - 2 Sep 1996 to 3 Sep 1996
***********************************************************



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