[Sokal and Bricmont's critiques of postmodernism: a systematization]

Abstract

Sokal and Bricmont's criticisms of postmodernism contained in the work “Fashionable Nonsense” caused different reactions in Brazil and abroad. Among us, however, there has not been an academic study dedicated exclusively to understanding, systematizing and describing the ideas about postmodernism contained in the work as a whole. This article intends to fill this gap and contribute to the existing literature. To fulfil the cited general objective of understanding, systematization and description, the philosophical investigation aimed to understand and describe i) the general characteristics and the intellectual and social roots of postmodernism; ii) the philosophical and sociopolitical critiques of postmodernism made by Sokal and Bricmont; iii) the antidotes or alternatives to postmodernism presented by the authors. The result is likely useful as support material in the study of the work and in the study of the postmodern thinkers criticized by Sokal and Bricmont; for the critical analysis of other postmodern thinkers; for anyone who wants to engage in the debate about postmodernism, either to criticize it or to defend it. Due to its content, it may be of particular interest to scholars of philosophy and history of thought, general epistemology and the epistemology of human and social sciences, sociology of science and anyone interested in the intersections between science, rationality and social emancipation.