A.C. Grayling: "Teach the Controversy"

[peaceful music]
- IT'S SOMETIMES ARGUED THAT IN EDUCATING PEOPLE,
SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL,
THEY OUGHT TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT
THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION,
THAT THERE ARE CONTROVERSIES ABOUT THINGS.
TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION,
AND IN THE UNITED STATES--
AMERICA AND SOME OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD TOO--
THERE IS OPPOSITION TO THE IDEA OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION.
PEOPLE HAVE IDEAS ABOUT, SAY, CREATIONISM
OR INTELLIGENT DESIGN.
AND THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THESE OUGHT TO BE TAUGHT TOO.
LET'S BROADEN THE PICTURE A LITTLE BIT HERE
AND ASK WHETHER THIS MEANS
THAT IF YOU WERE TEACHING ASTRONOMY IN SCHOOL,
YOU SHOULD ALSO TEACH ASTROLOGY,
OR IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS,
THAT THE ANCIENT THEORY OF DEMON POSSESSION
OUGHT TO BE TAUGHT AND SO ON.
AND THAT THE MINUTE
THAT YOU BROADEN THE CONVERSATION IN THAT WAY,
YOU BEGIN TO SEE THAT IN FACT,
TRYING TO BE INCLUSIVE AND FAIR
AND TO HAVE ALL SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT,
ALL OF THE OBJECTIONS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT RAISE TO SOMETHING,
IS IN FACT GOING TO INTERRUPT AND DEEPLY POLLUTE
THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
WE WANT TO TAKE OUR VERY BEST,
MOST DISCIPLINED RESEARCHES ABOUT THE WORLD,
ACROSS THE RANGE IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES,
IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES,
IN THE HUMANITIES, HISTORY, FOR EXAMPLE,
AND EQUIP PEOPLE
WITH A GOOD, SOLID, MAINSTREAM UNDERSTANDING OF THESE THINGS,
AND IF THAT'S DONE WELL
AND IF THEY PICK UP THESE THINGS,
THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS GOING TO BE
A WASTE OF TIME AND A DISTRACTION
IF THEY'RE STUDYING MEDICINE, FOR EXAMPLE,
TO LEARN ABOUT ANCIENT DEMON POSSESSION,
OR IF THEY'RE STUDYING ASTRONOMY,
TO LEARN ALSO ABOUT THE ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCES
ALLEGEDLY OF THE STARS.
THEY WILL BEGIN TO REALIZE WHY THAT IS THE CASE.
BUT VERY OFTEN, THIS IS A DISTRACTION.
IN THE PARTICULAR CASE OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY IN BIOLOGY
AND THE ALLEGED COMPETITOR THEORIES
OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN AND SO ON,
IT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION
OF THOSE VIEWS,
THE FACT THAT THE CHURCHES STILL EXIST
AND THAT RELIGION IS STILL A MAJOR FACTOR IN HUMAN SOCIETY,
THAT PEOPLE THINK THAT
THAT IS A RESPECTABLE COMPETITOR.
BUT WHEN YOU BROADEN THE PICTURE,
YOU SEE THAT IT ISN'T.
MY OWN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION:
SHOULD THESE CONTROVERSIES BE TAUGHT AS PART OF EDUCATION?
THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT
AS PART OF SCIENCE EDUCATION.
THERE MAY BE AN OCCASION IN THE CIVICS CLASS
OR AT ONE POINT IN THE HISTORY CLASS
OR THE SOCIOLOGY CLASS WHERE THEY MIGHT COME UP,
BUT THEY'RE NOT SERIOUS COMPETITORS
TO GENUINE INQUIRY,
AND THEY OUGHT NOT TO BE GIVEN THE VALIDATION OF BEING SO.