A step backwards in philosophy’s search for truth:
[Bernard-Henri Lévy's latest book,] De la guerre en philosophie (On War in Philosophy), has been greeted with the customary rapture, and its ubiquitous author has been a fixture on television and in the press all week.
In framing his case, Lévy—BHL to the Parisian cognoscenti—drew on the writings of the little-known 20th century thinker Jean-Baptiste Botul—author of The Sex Life of Immanuel Kant, and a man Lévy has cited in lectures.
The problem? Botul never existed. He was invented by a journalist from the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné 10 years ago as an elaborate joke. And since the hoax was revealed, BHL has become a laughing stock.
The entire article, from The Irish Times, is worth reading. [Via Matt Yglesias.]
Tags: Bernard-Henri Lévy, Immanuel Kant, philosophy
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AMA citation:
Gelman C. Bernard-Henri Lévy cites fake philosopher. The Immanent Frame. 2010. Available at: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/02/11/bernard-henri-levy-cites-fake-philosopher/. Accessed June 19, 2013.
APA citation:
Gelman, Charles. (2010). Bernard-Henri Lévy cites fake philosopher. Retrieved June 19, 2013, from The Immanent Frame Web site: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/02/11/bernard-henri-levy-cites-fake-philosopher/
Chicago citation:
Gelman, Charles. 2010. Bernard-Henri Lévy cites fake philosopher. The Immanent Frame. http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/02/11/bernard-henri-levy-cites-fake-philosopher/ (accessed June 19, 2013).
Harvard citation:
Gelman, C 2010, Bernard-Henri Lévy cites fake philosopher, The Immanent Frame. Retrieved June 19, 2013, from <http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/02/11/bernard-henri-levy-cites-fake-philosopher/>
MLA citation:
Gelman, Charles. "Bernard-Henri Lévy cites fake philosopher." 11 Feb. 2010. The Immanent Frame. Accessed 19 Jun. 2013. <http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2010/02/11/bernard-henri-levy-cites-fake-philosopher/>
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This reminds me of the so-called “Sokal Affair,” in which NYU physicist Alan Sokal got a satirical article published (as if serious) in the journal Social Text. He then used it as an example of the vacuousness of academic discourse in the humanities.