Why fight old battles?

January 6, 2011

It seems that 30 years after the death of C.P. Snow we are still fighting the somewhat pointless (liberal) arts versus science battle ("Guiding light in death's shadow"; "It's the breadth that matters"; 23-30 December). I do not see why sciences cannot be liberal, as I have long argued in the case of psychology. Or, at least, why an education cannot combine both. The University of Winchester is seeking to revive the medieval arts pattern. But that was only the first stage of university education, followed by specialisation in the higher faculties of law, medicine or theology. Surely we need both breadth and depth.

John Radford, Emeritus professor of psychology, University of East London.

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