É«ºÐÖ±²¥

I was disappointed to see that your leader featured the obligatory sideswipe at postmodernism. Postmodernist scholars, who differ in method and political commitment, have become the bogeyman of reason. However, it is science, not postmodernism that introduces the notion of relativism into the history of ideas.

The lack of recognition of the political stance of postmodern scholars is disappointing. Such scholars object to dogmas in all their forms - from universalist scientific reason to fundamentalist faith. Far from opening the door to creationism, most postmodernist scholars are profoundly concerned about the exclusionary nature of its claims concerning faith as an ultimate source of knowledge.

Martin Coward
Department of politics
University of Newcastle