The notion that our society, its education system and its intellectual life, is characterised by a split between two cultures – the arts or humanities on one hand, and the sciences on the other – has a long history. But it was C. P. Snow’s Rede lecture of 1959 that brought it to prominence and began a public debate that is still raging in the media today. This 50th anniversary printing of The Two Cultures and its successor piece, A Second Look (in which Snow responded to the controversy four years later) features an introduction by Stefan Collini, charting the history and context of the debate, its implications and its afterlife. The importance of science and technology in policy run largely by non-scientists, the future for education and research, and the problem of fragmentation threatening hopes for a common culture are just some of the subjects discussed.
Contents
Introduction Stefan Collini; Preface to the second edition; Part I. The Rede Lecture, 1959: 1. The two cultures; 2. Intellectuals as natural luddites; 3. The scientific revolution; 4. The rich and the poor; Part II. The Two Cultures: A Second Look; Notes.
Reviews
‘Probably the most important statement on the role of science in society yet available.’ Discovery
‘One cannot fail to take Snow seriously or to recognise his commitment to the cause of peace, intelligent action and human betterment.’ Scientific American
‘Obvious authority and moral intelligence.’ The New Yorker
‘Effective because of its obvious generosity of mind and basic sanity.’ The Sunday Times
‘Professor Collini’s brilliant and well documented introduction …’ D. Anjaneyulu, The Hindu
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