As a scholar of both religion and conspiracy theories, it was perhaps inevitable that Nicholas Smith’s (2022) recent article would catch my attention. Happily, I agreed with his conclusions in the main, but I was moved to respond nonetheless, as… Read More ›
Critical Replies
Critical Replies are engagements with articles recently published in Social Epistemology.
Grounding Critical Theory, Frieder Vogelmann
In a recent article in Social Epistemology, Iaan Reynolds (2021) weights in on the discussion about normative foundations and progress in critical theory. Despite my sympathies for his overall account of critical theory, that takes its cues from early Frankfurt… Read More ›
Reply to Iaan Reynolds: “The Dialectic of Progress and the Cultivation of Resistance in Critical Social Theory,” Charles A. Prusik
Among the many concepts that have fallen under suspicion in critical theory, the concept of progress may be the most contested. In “The Dialectic of Progress and the Cultivation of Resistance in Critical Social Theory,” Iaan Reynolds focuses on the… Read More ›
Knowledge as a Weapon? Brian Martin
Can knowledge claims be used to attack? Yes. What should be done about it? That depends. These questions are inspired by Adam Riggio’s article “The Dangers of Intellectual Honesty in a World of Lies” (2022). There is quite a bit… Read More ›
Vaccination Disasters: The People v. Adam Riggio, A Reply, Lee Basham
“My argument … is fundamentally practical, but no less universal: that too many of our populations are unable to understand this truth [of the origins of HIV].” — Adam Riggio … [please read below the rest of the article]. Article Citation: Basham,… Read More ›
Everybody Stands Ready for eXcetera: Rhetoric of Science meets the Pickwick Papers; or A Humble Reply to Morales (and Gruber and Pietrucci), Installment III, Randy Allen Harris
Installment III In our previous installment we found RoS fractionation being resisted, in part by distinguishing RoS as an intellectual pursuit independent in principle from the interests and practices of an academic association, and in larger part by advocating a… Read More ›
Everybody Stands Ready for eXcetera: Rhetoric of Science Meets the Pickwick Papers; or A Humble Reply to Morales (and Gruber and Pietrucci), Installment II, Randy Allen Harris
Installment II In our first Pickwickian installment, we reconnected with Alex William Morales and met Pamela Pietrucci and David R. Gruber, hearing some of their allegations of a crisis-riddled, fractionating Rhetoric of Science and their (muted, courteous) suggestions that the… Read More ›
Everybody Stands Ready for eXcetera: Rhetoric of Science Meets the Pickwick Papers; or A Humble Reply to Morales (and Gruber and Pietrucci), Installment I, Randy Allen Harris
Installment I Many thanks to Alexander William Morales for continuing this dialogue, and to SERRC for this wonderful venue. I’m happy to reply to Morales and answer a few of his questions, but Jim Collier, our illustrious editor, suggested that… Read More ›
Exploitation and the Politics of Knowledge: A Commentary on Arboledas-Lérida’s Marxist Analysis of Science Communication, Part II, Justin Cruickshank
The Feudal University in Neoliberal Times The rise of neoliberalism has meant declining resources from the state and intensified competition. As a consequence of this: casualisation has increased to increase profits or surplus; pressure on staff to ensure the university… Read More ›
Exploitation and the Politics of Knowledge: A Commentary on Arboledas-Lérida’s Marxist Analysis of Science Communication, Part I, Justin Cruickshank
In a recent issue of Social Epistemology, Luis Arboledas-Lérida (2021) developed a Marxist analysis of the requirement universities place on science academics to use social media to promote their research findings, with this being conceptualised as an instance of the… Read More ›