Alan Sokal is a physicist and mathematician renowned for his critique of postmodernism. His academic work navigates the intersection of mathematical physics and combinatorics, exploring the interplay between these fields. Sokal gained public notoriety through his 1996 exposé, where he submitted a deliberately nonsensical paper to a postmodern studies journal to highlight intellectual deficiencies. This act, known as the Sokal affair, aimed to defend the left from what he saw as trendy and baseless intellectual currents.
Alan Sokal, best-known for his role in the 'Sokal Hoax', presents a selection of essays that deal with science, religion, and misinformation in public life. He argues that clear thinking, combined with a respect for evidence, are of the utmost importance to the survival of the human race in the 21st century
When Intellectual Impostures was published in France, it sent shock waves through the Left Bank establishment. When it was published in Britain, it provoked vicious debate. Sokal and Bricmont examine the canon of French postmodernists - Lacan, Kristeva, Baudrillard, Irigaray, Latour, Virilio, Deleuze and Guattari - and systematically expose their abuse of science.
Alan Sokal, best-known for his role in the 'Sokal Hoax', here turns his attention to a new set of targets - pseudo-science, religion, and misinformation in public life. He argues that clear thinking, combined with a respect for evidence, are of the utmost importance to the survival of the human race in the twenty-first century.