The Sokal Affair and the Science Wars

Author: Rorty, Sokal, Derrida, Xing Dongmei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: In May 1996, after the "Sokal Affair" occurred, a major debate broke out in the global academic community between scientists and postmodern philosophers. This debate involved discussions on the nature of science, the objectivity and rationality of scientific truth, scientific methods, and the relationship between science, technology, and social factors such as politics, military, and economics. Many scientists, such as physicists, mathematicians, biologists, and chemists, joined the struggle to defend science and reason. On the other hand, postmodern philosophers, literary scholars, historians, and sociologists continuously used "external factors" to "deconstruct" science and reason. In a certain sense, this was a debate between science and "antiscience," a genuine clash between science and the humanities. In the history of humanity, there has never been such a profound and widely influential debate, and it will inevitably have a far-reaching impact on human culture and society. This collection gathers the main papers related to this debate, with most of the authors being key figures in the debate. The papers were also primarily recommended by the authors themselves. The purpose of this collection is to introduce the main content of this debate to the academic community in China, in order to promote the development of China's cultural undertakings.