The Two Culturse Of C.P.Snow

On 1959, the British physicist and novelist C.P. Snow delivered a famous speech at Cambridge University. In this speech, he addressed that there are two very different kinds of cultures: due to the fact that scientists and humanists differ greatly in terms of educational backgrounds, disciplinary training, subjects of research and the methods and means employed for the research, etc., they are often positioned in opposite grounds with each other with regard to the cultural aspect of the fundamental principles and value judgements. Moreover, there is even mutual disdain, and no attempts to understand the standpoints of each other were made. This phenomenon is called the Snow Proposition. Snow claims that the split between the two cultures will result in the eventual hindrance of the advancement and the development of the society and the individual.This paper begins with Snow's "two kinds of cultures" concept. The first chapter analyzes the background information of the Two Kinds of Cultures Snow proposed, respectively from a philosophical background and practical one. Then the second chapter describes and analyzes the viewpoint of Snow's speech in Cambridge, concerning the three main issues. First, the intellectual life of Western society has been increasingly being divided into two extremes. Second, analysis and thought about the reasons for splitting the two cultures are shown. Third, this division will not only result in loss of society and individuals, but also suppression of the human creativity. Most intellectuals knowing only one kind of culture can only stand to make their own point of view, making incorrect interpretation of the reality, unsuitable description of the past and wrong estimation of the future. Snow pointed out two main reasons for the serious split of the two cultures. The first one is our blind trust in specialized education, while the second one is the tendency of social form stereotypes. Of course, there are some deeper reasons for the split of two kinds of culture. In this chapter, there will be a brief introduction and explanation. Besides, the debate occurring after Snow's two kinds of culture were proposed is also introduced and analyzed. The third chapter discusses the possibility of integration of the two kinds of culture. Analysis and description of the integration theory of Snow's two kinds of culture are presented firstly. After that, integration viewpoint of the two kinds of culture by representative figures is analyzed and listed from the history of science, psychology and postmodernism. Finally the inspiration and reference from Snow's viewpoint of two kinds of culture in socialist construction in China are analyzed. They are discussed respectively from the development of science itself, the legal system construction and the educational reform. Currently, the split of the two kinds of culture has not alleviated, but intensified, which is shown mainly in the prevalence of the "scientism". To promote the integration of science and human culture, an accurate humanistic orientation for science should first be given to get rid of the blind worship of science and technology. Today, the voice for intergration of science and humanity has become the mainstream of Western academia. It is also penetrated into the community gradually from the academia.At present, China is in the primary stage of socialism, we must rely on science and technology to develop and enhance our overall national strength, meeting people's growing material and cultural needs gradually. However, narrow thinking regardless of future generations and the situation that people enjoy indulging in material interests restrict the implementation of the strategy of sustainable development in China. We have to pay more attention to the cultivation of human goodness in order to provide the right technology-driven value.