Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science

As we embark on this journey, it is essential to understand that intellectual authority, while often a beacon of knowledge, can sometimes cast shadows that obscure clarity. When authority inspires awe, confusion and absurdity can flourish unnoticed. This paradox sets the stage for our exploration into how scientific concepts have been misused by some of the most celebrated thinkers of our time.

Imagine a grand library, filled with towering shelves of books, where scholars in flowing robes debate passionately. Amidst this venerable setting, a glowing orb of knowledge pulses, yet its light struggles to penetrate the swirling fog of obscure language and jargon. This fog is not accidental; it is the veil behind which confusion hides, often mistaken for profundity.

One striking example that brought this issue to light was a deliberate experiment in which a nonsensical article, brimming with scientific jargon but devoid of meaning, was submitted to a respected cultural studies journal. To the surprise of many, the article was accepted and published. This event revealed a startling lapse in intellectual rigor, showing how scientific concepts were sometimes wielded not to clarify but to impress and intimidate.

Such episodes illustrate a broader phenomenon: ideas can gain acceptance not because of their intrinsic merit but because of the prestige of their proponents or because they ride the wave of intellectual fashion. In this environment, obscure language becomes a tool to create an aura of profundity, while actual clarity and empirical grounding recede into the background.

It is crucial to recognize that this confusion does not merely represent isolated errors but reflects a cultural tendency that can reinforce conservative attitudes by discouraging critical inquiry. When ideas are accepted on the basis of authority alone, the progress of knowledge stalls, and the intellectual landscape becomes fertile ground for nonsense.

As we move forward, keep in mind these twin dangers: the seductive power of authority and the masquerade of confusion as depth. Our next section will delve into one of the most emblematic figures whose work exemplifies these issues through the misuse of mathematical concepts in psychoanalysis.