The Sokal Affair and the Science Wars (The Conflict between Science and the Humanities from a Postmodern Perspective)

Author: Sokal et al. (Authored by), Cai Zhong, Xing Dongmei et al. (Translated by)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: In May 1996, after the "Sokal Affair" emerged, 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. Numerous scientists, such as physicists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, and others, joined the struggle to defend science and reason. In contrast, postmodern philosophers, literary scholars, historians, sociologists, and others 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, no debate has been as profound or as widely influential as this one, and it will inevitably have a far-reaching impact on human culture and society. This collection gathers the key papers related to this debate, with most of the authors being central figures in the controversy. The papers were also primarily recommended by the authors themselves. The purpose of this anthology 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.