The War on All Standards of Expertise

• In Event: The Fate of Fellow Travelers: Regenerating the Relationship of STS, Analytic Philosophy, and Social Epistemology

Abstract

The year 2018 saw a surprising attempt to restart the Science Wars, through the hoax publication experiment that the STS community has less-than-affectionately called "Sokal 2.0." I argue that this new hoax is far more dangerous for academic freedom and freedom of speech generally, than Alan Sokal's original prank on Social Text.

This new danger arises from two causes.
1) New Targets. The current attacks on cultural theory disciplines, particularly from high profile figures like Jordan Peterson, who often calls for the complete erasure of disciplines like race studies, women's studies, and gender studies. Sokal 2.0 organizers highlight the hoax papers they sent to journals in these disciplines using Peterson's term 'grievance studies.'
2) Political Context. The late 2010s are in the throes of a fascist revival, and its primary targets are movements for the rights of marginalized people like women, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, and minorities of sexuality and gender. The new attempt at a science war is a new front in this intense assault on knowledge production.

Author

• Adam Riggio, Royal Crown College of Business and Technology