Scientific fightback

JOHN Ziman misunderstands the purpose of Flight from Science and Reason (THES, April 24). Far from trying to create a new philosophy or history of science it is forging a resistance to what has become a naked assault on the Enlightenment and any kind of rational dialogue, made by those who are privileged enough to profit from its fruits.

Such attacks are also directed at history. Assaults on science are coming from New Age mysticism, "feminist scientific (sic) theory", Afrocentrism, anti-Darwinism, techno-occultism, political correctness and pre-millennial anxieties masquerading as critiques of contemporary society.

It is significant that this centenary year of Trofim Lysenko has been met by a deafening silence.

Flight is an essential toolkit needed to overcome Hydra-headed madness. Without a fightback the consequences would be too dreadful to contemplate.

Mazin Zeki

Carlingford Road, London NW3