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Science and Humanism?John P. Hart Anthro Survey (JHART@MUSEUM.NYSED.GOV)Fri, 14 Oct 1994 13:07:15 EDT
dismayed by the note posted by Hugh Jarvis, but I do respect his privalage as co-owner and manager of the list to request a change in dialogue. I hope that the following does not violate his request. In simplistic terms, my spin on the whole issue revolves around what I, and probably most subscribers to the list, recognize as a major split in the profession, between humanistic and scientific approaches to understanding human behavior. I may be wrong, but it seems like the crux of the problem is that humanists believe that all approaches to knowledge are equally valid and therefore criticism of any given approach, theory, etc is not valid, whereas scientists demand empirical support for theories and that some approaches are not valid. Obviously, these two approaches are not compatible. Can a single organization such as AAA accomodate such these different approaches through the publication of a single journal, annual meeting, newsletter, etc? If not, then individuals belonging to the group that feels most trod upon can simply spend their energies and dollars on societies that meet their needs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- John P. Hart Anthropological Survey New York State Museum 3122 Cultural Education Center Albany, NY 12230 518-474-5813 518-473-8496 (FAX) JHart@DOS90.NYSED.GOV
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