In this book the authors raise serious questions about the growing criticism of science by humanists and social scientists on the "academic left," and explore the origins of this trend. They argue that when scientific texts are deconstructed and feminists make charges of scientific "patriarchy," the basic principles and practices that underlie 300 years of scientific achievement are being attacked by those with little knowledge of the scientific process. In the first five chapters the authors discuss the academic left and academic insularity; briefly consider the history of the American left; look at cultural constructivism; examine postmodernist approaches to cultural studies and chaos theories; and examine the relationship between feminist thinking and science. In chapter 6, the authors charge radical environmentalists with exploiting issues such as acid rain and the ozone hole; in chapter 7, the social and political issues as they relate to racial justice and the AIDS epidemic are considered; while in chapter 8 they examine some of the underlying causes of hostility toward science. In the final chapter the authors express their concerns about the future and about how science is perceived in academia and by the public. (Contains approximately 325 references.) (CH)