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The Academic Left and its Quarrels with Science: A Book Review

Kenneth Parker

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Published in Higher Superstition: The Academic Left And Its Quarrels With Science

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The Academic Left and its Quarrels with Science is a book by Richard Lindzen, a professor of atmospheric sciences at MIT. The book argues that the academic left has become increasingly hostile to science, and that this hostility is damaging to the progress of knowledge.

Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science

by Paul R. Gross

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1487 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
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Print length	:	585 pages

Lindzen's book is divided into three parts. The first part provides a history of the academic left's hostility to science. Lindzen argues that this hostility began in the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture movement. The counterculture movement was deeply suspicious of science and technology, and this suspicion was shared by many of the left-wing intellectuals who were active in the movement.

The second part of Lindzen's book examines the specific ways in which the academic left has attacked science. Lindzen argues that the left has attacked science on a number of fronts, including:

The left has attacked the objectivity of science. The left argues that science is not a neutral enterprise, but is instead a product of the social and political context in which it is produced.
The left has attacked the authority of science. The left argues that scientists are not the only experts on the world, and that their claims should be subject to the same scrutiny as the claims of other experts.
The left has attacked the funding of science. The left argues that the government should not fund science that is not in line with its own political agenda.

The third part of Lindzen's book discusses the consequences of the academic left's hostility to science. Lindzen argues that this hostility has led to a decline in the quality of science, and has made it more difficult for scientists to communicate their findings to the public.

Lindzen's book is a timely and important contribution to the debate about the role of science in society. Lindzen provides a clear and concise account of the academic left's hostility to science, and he argues persuasively that this hostility is damaging to the progress of knowledge.

The Academic Left and its Quarrels with Science is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the relationship between science and society.

Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science

by Paul R. Gross

4.4 out of 5