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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 5 page paper provides an overview of the Sokal Hoax, the hoax perpetuated by a respected physicist in 1996. Supporters and critics of Sokal's actions are discussed as are implications of the hoax. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA218Sok.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
was an experiment in social science as the article was bogus. It was a hoax and according to Sokal, he did it to see whether or not a leading journal
of cultural studies would publish any article if it sounded good and and flattered the editors (PG). He found that they would, but after learning the nature of the article
as the author admitted to the hoax, the editors of SocialText were of course not amused (PG). A student writing on this subject might want to point out that
the mere idea that the hoax went over reinforces the suggestion that people are gullible. Even social scientists who should know better eat up any new study or publication if
it is from a respected journal, contributed by a respected author. Doctors and professors become Gods of the universe and perhaps the masses just do not question. On a lower
level, it is something akin to the general media reporting a tiny piece of information from a study that has a multitude of implications. For example, the mass media might
report that potatoes cause cancer if a small piece of a journal article suggests the likelihood. What they do not report are the larger issues that may in some way
refute that claim. While Sokal did want to test the reaction of people, particularly other scientists, he also did it for political reasons ("The Sokal" PG). Sokal was
testing the left community as he considers the New Left to be guilty of "epistemic relativism " and is particularly annoyed that the New Left promotes the idea that reality
is a social construction (PG). He claims that the New Left has created an academic subculture that typically ignores reasoned criticism from the outside and so, it seems that
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