FOM: Hersh, postmodernism, Rothstein

[Stephen G Simpson]

I wrote:
 > There is however Hersh's FOM posting of December 22, 1997:
 > 
 >  258.  [[ Reuben Hersh Dec 22 64/3349 "Re: FOM: What is mathematics,
 >   really?, Gen Intellectual Interest, Political Agendas"]]
 > 
 > which is on the web as
 > 
 >   http://www.math.psu.edu/simpson/fom/postings/9712.258
 > 
 > I think this was Hersh's first mention of Rothstein and postmodernism
 > on the FOM list.

Correction (thanks to Reuben Hersh): Hersh's December 22 posting
mentions postmodernism, but not Rothstein.

On the other hand, both postmodernism and Rothstein's article on Hersh
are mentioned in Hersh's December 26 posting:

 271.  [[ Reuben Hersh Dec 26 187/6002 "Re: FOM: Platonism v. social
     constructivism"]]

which is at
 
    http://www.math.psu.edu/simpson/fom/postings/9712.271

Incidentally, I first learned of Rothstein's article on December 20,
by reading it in the New York Times.  For a while I hesitated to bring
it up on the FOM list, not because I don't agree with it (in fact I do
agree with it), but because the subject is somewhat inflammatory.
However, when Hersh himself brought it up, I couldn't resist jumping
in.

-- Steve