Re: [asa] Teenagers and Evolution

“I see no reason why a science textbook should not include information on the history and social developments of science, since it is a cultural force.” – Robert Schneider
   
  This suggestion sounds reasonable enough, if it did not fly in the face of trends towards specialist education and fragmentation of knowledge in the USA!
   
  If you/we actually had sociologists of science (e.g. like Warwick University’s American-born Steven Fuller) who could contribute to such textbooks as Deborah is cautioning against and be given some influence in editing them, then the situation would seem possible to improve. Unfortunately, the existence of interdisciplinary studies does not seem to be making great inroads in ‘the world’s most scientific country.’ Improving Americans' understanding of the ‘social developments of science’ as a ‘cultural force’ would require inclusion of voices that have thus far been marginalized in the current scientific discourse (even in the discourse of science and religion!).
   
  Making teenagers aware of the depth and width of penetration of evolutionary ideas into social sciences (e.g. economics, political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, human geography, etc.) and humanities (e.g. evolutionary philosophy, evolutionary philosophy and evolutionary philosophy) would enable them to discern where the limits of science are and where the influence of ideology begins. Unfortunately, most natural scientists (including teachers of natural science in high schools and elementary schools) are simply not trained to discern the difference between ideology, science and religion. What seems most important is not for Christians to defend evolutionary naturalism or to propose some theory/hypothesis of 'intelligent design' as a patchwork solution, but rather to find another alternative that would allow respectful dialogue whereby the imago Dei in humanity is/can be expressed in the clearest possible way.
   
  Arago
   
   
  P.s. I’m a million miles away, I’m a thousand miles away from my home – does it really make a difference…from a human perspective? :..-)

                 
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Received on Mon Jan 15 18:40:58 2007