Re: The role of science in modern America
C. Marc Wagner @ UCS (@)
Tue, 15 Oct 1996 16:56:31 -0500
In response to the original question...
> David Sierra wrote:
>
> > If anyone would care to submit a brief (3-6 setence) on either:
:
> > What they feel the role of science in modern America is (popular culture,
> > media perception, educational settings or interworkings of the scientific
> > community)
> >
> > or
> >
> > What they feel the role of science in modern America SHOULD BE (same areas)
Science is part of Mankind's thirst for knowledge. As Humans, we want
to know HOW and WHY? Science is about the HOW. HOW things are and HOW
they were and HOW they will be. The WHY is what Religion and Philosophy
are all about. WHY are things as they are, WHY were they different in
the past, and WHY will they be different in the future. After Survival
and Procreation, all of Mankind's pursuits are related to either HOW? or
WHY? The ARTS in "Arts and Sciences" pursue the WHY and the SCIENCES in
"Arts & Sciences" are about the HOW. Pure and simple. The rest is about
how to make our lives more comfortable -- not more meaningful!
American POP culture is far more concerned with Comfort (survival is no
longer an issue in America) and Sex (Procreation is no longer an issue
either) than anything else so it plays a very small role in the HOW and
the WHY of life in America. This is extremely unfortunate as Culture
should always encourage us to pursue the HOW and the WHY because only
those two questions give any meaning to our lives!
--
C. MARC WAGNER -- UNIX Systems Specialist @ UCS
INDIANA UNIVERSITY -- Bloomington, Indiana, USA
WWW: http://pcfwww.ucs.indiana.edu/pcfstaff/mwagner
|