February 6, 2025

Collaboration Between the Two Cultures is Necessary

In C.P. Snow’s lecture, “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution,” he argues that our academic world is divided into two cultures who often do not hear each other out and have a lack of understanding for one another. The two cultures that Snow identifies are scientists and literary intellectuals. Snow argues that these two groups have become so divided that it has led to a practical and creative loss. While both groups are highly intelligent and solve problems in creative ways, they each have different strengths and weaknesses and understand our world in different ways. The two cultures as Snow describes it, must come together and collaborate to solve sophisticated problems that our world is facing today.

Modern-day problems that our world faces include climate change, poverty, and global health. These are real concerns, and without the collaboration of intelligent people with different backgrounds and fields of study, we will not be able to solve these problems in the best way possible. The modern-day problems that I mention do not fit within one disciplinary boundary, instead, they involve many disciplines. A scientist can not solve climate change on their own, and neither can a literary intellectual. Instead, these two cultures must bridge the gap and work together, using the combination of strengths and understanding of our world to attack this problem. A scientist might be able to calculate what each individual must do in order to prevent climate change, however, this solution might not be practical based on the way our society functions. Somebody with a different academic background might have a better understanding of our society, and if the two came together, we would have a better chance of solving this issue in a realistic way. It is very important that the two cultures come together via collaboration in order to solve the complex problems our world faces in the twenty-first century.

Snow proposes that the polarization and divide of the two cultures stem from our educational systems. In the western world, students begin specializing in a certain subject at a very young age. While this is a good thing for a number of reasons, it can be seen as a negative thing as students are not as well-rounded. If students were taught a variety of subjects and did not focus on just one or two subjects at a young age, they would become more well-rounded and more understanding of people who fit into the other culture. If the two cultures continue to grow apart, Snow argues that no society will be able to think with wisdom. While education is not the complete solution to bridging the gap, I believe that with a different approach to education and research, the two cultures will be in a better position to understand one another, and work together, not apart from one another. The problems that our world faces will only be solved when highly intelligent people in each culture begin to collaborate and think creatively. If we can bridge the gap between the two cultures via educational reform and collaboration, I believe that our world will be in a much better position to attack pressing issues in realistic ways.

 

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