C.P Snow believed that society is
fragmented. There are the scientist and the general public. There are the rich
and the poor. The scientists are solving problems and advancing our repository
of knowledge. The general public remains the same. The rich continue to amass
wealth. The poor remains the same.
There are no bridges between these
divisions. There are no connections. The scientists fail to share the
importance of their knowledge to the public. The rich keep their wealth. This
divide is disturbing because we live on one earth together.
However, there are many ways to
close this gap. An example would be UCLA. University is a place where people
from different cultures and background are forced to interact while in pursuit
of the same goal. Through learning, teaching and sharing knowledge the gap
between scientist and the public decreases. In addition, higher education
reduces economic inequality.
Universities, like UCLA, encourage the
development of well-rounded, mature and considerate adults.
Even the architecture at UCLA
closes the cultural gap. Without engineering, buildings cannot stand. Without
art, buildings are just buildings. Architecture relies on the link between
science and art. By combining these vastly different aspects of life,
architecture is another way of bridging the divide.
Royce Hall’s stunning architecture makes it a symbol of
UCLA.
I am a
science major. However, I appreciate art and understand its importance. I think
that knowledge, understanding and respect can help bridge the many divisions that
currently affect our society: A balance between two extremes. Aristotle called
it the Golden Mean.
Aristotle believed that the golden mean was the desirable
middle between two extremes.
Works Cited:
Snow, C.P. "The Two Cultures and the
Scientific Revolution." New York: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1959. Print.
Kamen, Dean, Porter, John Edward, and Wilson, E.O. "A Dangerous Divide: The Two Cultures in the
21st Century." 2009. Web. 5 April 2015. <http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Ebriefings/Detail.aspx?cid=74e271bd-4ba6-47cd-8f0a-add2ef8234cd>
Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." 1998. Web. 5 April 2015. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/279/5353/992.full>
Powell, John A. "Six
Polices to Reduce Economic Inequality." 2014. Web. 5 April 2015.<http://diversity.berkeley.edu/6-policies-to-reduce-economic-inequality>
London, Jay. "Philip
Freelon MArch’77." 2014. Web. 5 April 2015. <http://www.technologyreview.com/article/524331/philip-freelon-march-77/>
Bucks County Community College. "Ethical Decision Making for
Journalists." 2012. Web. 5 April 2015. <http://www.anus.com/zine/articles/draugdur/golden_mean/>
I really like your idea of how universities such as UCLA actually do help to close the separation between Arts and Sciences, and how people with various backgrounds can gain higher education together to help to reduce the wealth gap. In my blog post I have only considered the arrangements of the campus and did not think of how architecture of the buildings themselves are a part of Arts and Sciences combined. Also, as you have mentioned Aristotle, I personally think he is a great example of a man connecting Art and Science. His writings cover great variety of subjects, from zoology and biology to aesthetics and humanities. He also gave Art a definition as the realization in external form of a true idea.
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