Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2010
Dr. David Goldberg, ¾¨Ó㴫ý associate professor of philosophy, and junior philosophy and economics major Michael Gorman presented papers at the fall meeting of the West Virginia Philosophical Society Oct. 8-9 at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown.
Goldberg, who serves as president of the organization, presented "The Sokal Affair: Straw Man All the Way," an examination of the Sokal hoax and what it does and does not say about post-modernism.
In 1996, physicist Alan Sokal submitted a paper that was accepted for publication in the journal Social Text. Three weeks later he revealed the paper was a hoax and a parody of the journal's post-modern style. What ensued was an on-going critique of post-modernism that, according to Goldberg, Sokal has turned into a small cottage industry, publishing at least three texts on the topic since the original hoax.
"What I examine are the consequences of his paper, particularly the revelations about the journal and its editors, as well as a certain small segment of post-modernism," Goldberg said. "In the larger picture, Sokal's critique leaves post-modernism intact, as his critique does nothing to diminish the larger frame of reference."
Goldberg, who has been with ¾¨Ó㴫ý since 2002, earned undergraduate and master's degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and Ph.D. from Duquesne University.
Gorman's paper, "Kantian Ethics and War Profiteering," was a reworked version of a paper originally written for a business ethics course taught by Goldberg. The concern was whether the Kantian notion of duty and/or obligation could be applied in dealing with the ethical ramifications of the United States' present military activities.
Gorman was the only undergraduate student to present in a field of faculty and graduate students from a variety of institutions that included Penn State and the Universities of Kentucky, Cincinnati, and North Carolina.
Gorman is a son of Mary Novak of Avonmore and a graduate of Kiski Area High School.
Gorman's attendance at the meeting was funded by a travel/presentation grant from ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
The Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning was created to enrich undergraduate education at ¾¨Ó㴫ý through advancing world-class teaching as well as by participating in collaborations that address community and regional needs including strengthening K-12 education. The Undergraduate Research Initiative provides funding for students to conduct research and to present their research at regional and national conferences.
Contact Goldberg at (724) 946-7153 or e-mail goldbedw@westminster.edu for additional information.
