Week 1: Two Cultures
Even though the word "science" is in the name of my major, I could not be more separate from the world of science and mathematics as a Political Science student. Political Science is considered an arts degree and constitutes a great deal of reading. Prior to this week, I was unaware of C.P. Snow and his 1959 lecture on the two cultures of literary intellectuals and scientific intellectuals. However, I have always sensed the divide between the two and the rift is even more evident in college. As Professor Vesna mentioned in her lecture, the campus is split between North Campus (literary side of campus) and South Campus (math and science side of campus). There is minimal mixing in between the two campuses; in my four years, I have only taken around 4 classes within South Campus.
However, contrary to John Brockman's theory, I do not believe that the two cultures should remain separated. As a Japanese and Black woman, I have had the privilege to have two cultures influence my life. My life is so much richer due to the influence of both cultures and I could not imagine my life without either of them.
Like Stephen Wilson, I too hope that the divide between artists and scientists can be bridged so that both cultures can reap the benefits that the other may possess. In his work, Wilson notes that artists are much more susceptible to influence from science and technology while scientists are not as accepting of artistic influence.
As a fourth year in my last quarter, I will not be taking any more science or mathematics courses as an undergraduate. However, going forward into post-collegiate life, I want to make an effort to stay updated about developments in the mathematics and science world and also challenge myself to learn more outside of an academic setting. I believe a conscious effort must be made by both cultures in order to bridge the gap. And, as a self-proclaimed literary intellectual, I must take it upon myself to learn more about the "other" culture.
Sources
Bohm, D. “On Creativity.” Leonardo, vol. 1, no. 2, 1968, pp. 137–149. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1571951.
Brockman, John. The Third Culture. N.p.: n.p., 1995. Print.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
Wilson, Stephen D. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.” College Art Association Meetings. New York, New York, 2000. Print.
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| Courtesy of U.C.L.A. : http://www.ucla.edu/pdf/ucla-campus-map.pdf |
However, contrary to John Brockman's theory, I do not believe that the two cultures should remain separated. As a Japanese and Black woman, I have had the privilege to have two cultures influence my life. My life is so much richer due to the influence of both cultures and I could not imagine my life without either of them.
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| Verywell, 2017 |
Like Stephen Wilson, I too hope that the divide between artists and scientists can be bridged so that both cultures can reap the benefits that the other may possess. In his work, Wilson notes that artists are much more susceptible to influence from science and technology while scientists are not as accepting of artistic influence.
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| https://www.azquotes.com/quote/307763 |
As a fourth year in my last quarter, I will not be taking any more science or mathematics courses as an undergraduate. However, going forward into post-collegiate life, I want to make an effort to stay updated about developments in the mathematics and science world and also challenge myself to learn more outside of an academic setting. I believe a conscious effort must be made by both cultures in order to bridge the gap. And, as a self-proclaimed literary intellectual, I must take it upon myself to learn more about the "other" culture.
Sources
Bohm, D. “On Creativity.” Leonardo, vol. 1, no. 2, 1968, pp. 137–149. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1571951.
Brockman, John. The Third Culture. N.p.: n.p., 1995. Print.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.
Wilson, Stephen D. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.” College Art Association Meetings. New York, New York, 2000. Print.
I really like your post Schuyler. I was interested when you said that the divide between the arts and sciences mush be bridged. How would you suggest this happen? Do you think that students should take a larger variety of classes on both sides of campus? Or should there be more classes that incorporate both science and art together?
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