Human Reason and Its Enemies

Human Reason and Its Enemies is the result of a two-year research project under a National Fellowship of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. The book is an uncompromising exposé of postmodernism - a philosophy which seeks to destroy philosophy; challenges the objectivity, universality and impartiality of reason; and which swears by 'situated' knowledge. The views of many postmoderns, particularly those of Cohen, Foucault, Lyotard, Maclntyre and Taylor, are shown to be superficial, sophistical, confused, fallacious and even ridiculous. Postmodernism believes truth to be culturerelative and therefore believes that intercultural comparison and critical appraisal must require an 'Archimedean point' to make this possible. Since, they say, there is no such point, cultures are incommensurable. This argument, as well as the incommensurability thesis, are shown to be based on messy thinking and prejudice. The postmodern reliance on the concept of 'language games' and its love-hate relationship to Western science, are examined in depth. The pronouncements of thinkers like Feyerabend and Kuhn are thoroughly exposed as mistaken and even laughable. An attempt is made to disclose the true nature and salient features of human reason and thinking.