> >>I'm not >>convinced by Irigarary that the _particular_ obstacle to better physics was >>masculinity, but in any case, I don't see how the _general_ point about the >>social construction of science and the rejection of pretensions to >>objectivity is a (new) achievement. > >Well, maybe the development of an old insight in a new way is worth doing. >I don't say that Irigiray has done it. I rather doubt it.
Yes, it is certainly worthwhile when someone recovers (and especially improves on) an old or forgotten insight. That's all most worthwhile efforts ever amount to. It _is_ worth thinking about the link Irigarary is reported to draw between masculinity and Newtonian physics. But I'm asking, it is fair that the credits for this kind of challenge to positivism be placed in their (new?) column in the balance sheet of intellectual accomplishment? It is sometimes not even acknowledged that credits have already been earned in other columns. Bill
