Sokal Hoax

Abstract

In the article, we discuss the course of the socalled Sokal affair. We explain the essence of the “affair”, we get the main standpoints of Alan Sokal, of his proponents and his criticists, and we try to take some conclusions from that. We present the ambivalent relationship of the postmodern theoreticiens and ideologues to sciences which is exhibited in the too fasted and superficial references to sciences by these theoreticiens, and at the same time, in the underestimation of science (the reduction of science to an ahistoric and technicist ideology). We warn on the danger that the Sokal's criticism misses its aim and provokes a greather abyss between the scientists and humanists/social scientists as it ruled till now. We think that the analytic philosophy has its great chance in preventing this danger and in building a bridge between the two “adveresed cultures”.