Illiterate Science

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Education is an important part of people’s lives and a foundation for success. Therefore, people, especially parents, tend to have very strong opinions regarding what should be taught. One of the fiercest debates is in the balance between education in STEM, that is, science, technology, engineering, and medicine, and education in the humanities, such as language and history. Recently, there has been a movement to eschew the humanities in favor of greater time spent learning STEM.

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Proponents of this plan often suggest it as a solution to the United States’ poor performance in STEM on a global scale. They believe that if less time is spent in other subjects, students will succeed. However, this stance neglects the effect that the humanities have on students’ performance in every area. Language is not only a boon to success in science, but it is necessary. As Thomas Jefferson, a Father of Our Nation and a major early supporter of public education, once said, “I do not pretend that language is science. It is only an instrument for the attainment of science. But that time is not lost which is employed in providing tools for future operation.” Even if the study of the English language had nothing else to offer, time spent learning it is “not lost” because it is used to learn STEM. Be it through a textbook or a teacher, one without the ability to understand English is one without the ability to understand what is being taught.

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When those who reject the humanities face this point, they say that English is important, but literature is not. However, it provides people with the intellectual and emotional nourishment that the sciences cannot. The sciences can teach a lot, but not what makes a person human. They teach a lot, but not how to rouse a person to action. They can teach a lot, but not the humanity of others. They can teach a lot, but nothing about ourselves and the human experience. Besides pragmatic reasons for learning them, the humanities allow people to know themselves and others better. This is evident in the training of doctors. Clearly, science is important in the practice of medicine. However, a narrow minded view of patients as bodies to be treated, and not as people, is clearly terrible. It causes a lack of compassion, and therefore, sloppy work and undue distress to the patient. To resolve this issue, medical schools are looking for more balanced doctors (Schafer). Reading literature and appreciating art are avenues to this balance. They inform us of the deeper meaning of what it means to be a person, and the common human experience. They are called the humanities, after all.

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When those who reject the humanities face these points, they say that the humanities are helpful in many areas, but only STEM is necessary. Their argument is that the humanities do not lead to breakthroughs. Ironically, this is a scientifically uninformed opinion. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist interviewed for the article “What Makes a Genius,” explained that what distinguishes a genius from a regular person is that “there’s more flexibility in their thought processes, more contributions from different parts of the brain.” Forcing students to study only STEM, and thus limiting both their knowledge and, more importantly, the range of viewpoints to which they are exposed, is almost guaranteed to stem the flow of advancements in the world today. Those who argue against the humanities are also arguing against creativity, as STEM courses tend to require a more rigid way of thinking. This is a damaging viewpoint, because as great people have demonstrated, it is the combination of creativity and intelligence that leads to success. Einstein was a musician as well as a physicist. Leonardo da Vinci engineered as well as painted. Euler studied for years to become a clergyman before he pursued mathematics. If a combination of arts and sciences has produced such an accomplished group of people, and led to such a technologically advanced and richly cultured world, why would one ever want to alter that?

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When those who reject the humanities face these points, they say that the humanities are useful in many areas and lead to breakthroughs, but are not as important as STEM in society. This viewpoint can only exist when the fact that we live in a democracy is ignored. In order to participate responsibly in government, it is necessary to be informed, not only in the sciences, but in history and the government. When this second condition is ignored, the society can face terrible repercussions. For instance, Hitler was democratically elected, and used pseudoscience to do so. This could only have been prevented by a populace that not only recognized the humanity of those he threatened to persecute, but that also knew from history the devastation his election would cause. This principle holds even in more benign scenarios, such as defunding art and music programs. For every decision in which one is involved, they are responsible to consider all the factors involved, and should therefore be educated enough to be literate in all topics.

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The humanities are a necessary tool to learn the sciences, allow us to learn what the sciences cannot teach, lead to the breakthroughs that change our world, and are necessary for democracy. When faced with these points, nobody could rightly support neglecting them. The humanities are at least as important as STEM curricula, and should be afforded at least the same respect and focus in schools. This affects everyone, and thus, it is everyone’s responsibility to help. Vote for people who respect all areas of knowledge. Give your money to local artists and writers. Most importantly, send your children to schools that do not limit what they can learn.

Works Cited

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Kalb, Claudia. “What Makes a Genius?” National Geographic, National Geographic, 21 Apr. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/05/genius-genetics-intelligence neuroscience-creativity-einstein/.

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Jefferson, Thomas. Notes On the State of Virginia. Paris, Printed 1784-85, 1784.

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Schaffer, Russell. “Medical School Seeks to Change Student Culture | Kaplan Test Prep.” Med School Pulse, Kaplan, 30 Mar. 2017, www.kaptest.com/blog/med-school pulse/2017/03/30/medical-school-seeks-to-change-student-culture/.