Many forms of complacency

[erudito]

Philosopher Simon Blackburn has a review piece on a collection of essays by physicist Alan Sokal (he of the delicious Sokal Hoax). In the review, Blackburn has many sensible and reasonable things to say. He is a fan of science, its contribution to our culture and its ability to tell us about the world around us

Comments

[alp_centauri]

I don't have time to read Blackburn's piece right now but I would like to share a review of a book by Sokal and Bricmont which they wrote in reply to criticism after the hoax was revealed. The bottom line is that they are on the side of the angels in defending science but they fall back on the indefensible positivist (inductivist) view of scientific knowledge. (groan)
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2NYXP4Y0B5PHC/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

The same fault turns up in the otherwise admirable book that Keith Windschuttle wrote on unhelpful schools of thought in historical studies "The Killing of History".
http://www.amazon.com/review/RY57W0ULK5EDJ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm