ahhh. sokal. :) the sokal debate reached indian shores too. there was a correspondence between sokal and a bombay academic on the pages of EPW
On 9/5/07, Amit Varma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Going back to jargon for a moment, it can either be useful shorthand among > those knowledgeable about a particular subject, or it can be a sign of > intellectual laziness, or even dishonesty. Much postmodernism falls in the > latter category -- if you haven't already, do read Richard Dawkins's review > of Alan Sokal's Intellectual Impostures: > http://www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html > > Also, I'm sure you must have heard of the Sokal affair: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_Affair > > And the postmodernism generator is hilarious (scroll to bottom): > http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo > > Most usage of jargon isn't so outright ridiculous, but it can be a sign of > laziness -- especially for a professional writer, writing for a lay > audience. Eschewing jargon and cliches forces one to think clearly, and > therefore to write clearly. Else one can fall into the kind of bad habits > Orwell mentioned in his marvellous essay, Politics and the English Language: > http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm > > Er, sorry, does it sound like I'm lecturing? I'm outta here! > > -- > Amit Varma > http://www.indiauncut.com > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - does the frog know it has a latin name? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
