The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense: A Guide for Edgy People
Encyclopedia
The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense: A Guide for Edgy People is a book by Ophelia Benson
and Jeremy Stangroom
.
The book is a satire on post-modernism, modern jargon
and anti rationalist thinking in contemporary academia. "Covering such schools of thought as difference feminism
, deconstruction
, and the sociology of knowledge
, (the authors reveal) that clotted jargon, tortured syntax, and unreadable style hides the fact that nothing new is being said."
The Times Literary Supplement said "With wit and invention, Benson and Stangroom take us through the checklist argot that so often litters postmodern texts." Writing in The Guardian
, Ben Marshall called it "a near perfect summary of the banality of postmodern discourse."
The book's authors were interviewed about the book by ABC
radio in Australia.
Ophelia Benson
Ophelia Benson is co-author of The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense: A Guide for Edgy People, Why Truth Matters , and Does God Hate Women?....
and Jeremy Stangroom
Jeremy Stangroom
Jeremy Stangroom is a British writer, editor, and website designer. He is an editor and co-founder, with Julian Baggini, of The Philosophers’ Magazine, and has written and edited several philosophy books. He is also co-founder, with Ophelia Benson of the website 'Butterflies and Wheels'.Stangroom...
.
The book is a satire on post-modernism, modern jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
and anti rationalist thinking in contemporary academia. "Covering such schools of thought as difference feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, deconstruction
Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a term introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1967 book Of Grammatology. Although he carefully avoided defining the term directly, he sought to apply Martin Heidegger's concept of Destruktion or Abbau, to textual reading...
, and the sociology of knowledge
Sociology of knowledge
The Sociology of knowledge is the study of the relationship between human thought and the social context within which it arises, and of the effects prevailing ideas have on societies...
, (the authors reveal) that clotted jargon, tortured syntax, and unreadable style hides the fact that nothing new is being said."
The Times Literary Supplement said "With wit and invention, Benson and Stangroom take us through the checklist argot that so often litters postmodern texts." Writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Ben Marshall called it "a near perfect summary of the banality of postmodern discourse."
The book's authors were interviewed about the book by ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
radio in Australia.
External links
- Fashionable Dictionary, Butterflies and Wheels