Recently, Zhang Xuefeng, a famous teacher for the Internet celebrity postgraduate examination, said in the live broadcast room: All liberal arts are called the service industry, and it can be summed up as "licking". After that, he came out to "apologize" wearing a T-shirt printed with "I was wrong, I apologize". This point of view has caused great repercussions in the society, especially for the parents of students who are in high school and have chosen liberal arts, and they are even more uneasy. Today, I would like to express my personal views on this point of view for your analysis and discussion.
Liberal arts and science and engineering: the two are not opposites
First of all, we need to make it clear that liberal arts and science and engineering are not mutually exclusive and antagonistic. The liberal arts cover a wide range of fields, including culture, media, and art, in addition to the history, philosophy, humanities, and social sciences that we are familiar with. The research and development of these disciplines have enabled mankind to achieve significant results in the accumulation of knowledge, wisdom enlightenment, aesthetic sublimation and value shaping. Moreover, at the employment level, the positions that liberal arts students can choose are not only in the service industry, but also in all walks of life, showing their wisdom and talent everywhere.
On the other hand, science and engineering, without its support, will lose its direction in social development. Its importance cannot be overlooked, and the fields include basic sciences such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, and their applied technologies. In the context of scientific and technological innovation, the research and practice of science and engineering graduates in the frontier fields of science have made great contributions to promoting economic growth and improving living standards.
It is important to note that the proportion of liberal arts and sciences may vary from country to country, but this does not equate to a country's dominant position in social development. Especially in a large country like China, the emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education does not mean that humanities and social sciences education should be reduced. In fact, an individual's career choice should be based on his or her own interests, rather than simply looking at a particular type of subject.
Historically, the interaction and integration between liberal arts and science and engineering has never been an isolated event. For example, natural philosophers, Renaissance scientists, and humanists have made breakthroughs in human thinking and cognition through the exchange and cooperation between the liberal arts and science and engineering. Today, this interdisciplinary collaboration is more frequent and closer, thanks to which the progress of human civilization has benefited.
The differences and complementarities between liberal arts and science and engineering are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1.Ways and methods of learning Xi:Science and engineering mainly focus on logical thinking and data analysis, and students need to conduct a lot of experiments and practical operations;Liberal arts, on the other hand, focus on humanistic thinking and cultural understanding, and students need to do a lot of reading and thinking. This difference makes there a huge difference in the way liberal arts and science students learn Xi, and it also allows the two disciplines to learn from each other and complement each other's strengths.
2.Mindset and Values:There is a huge difference between the liberal arts and science and engineering in their understanding of people and the world, and science and engineering focus on rational thinking and the understanding and transformation of the objective worldLiberal arts, on the other hand, pay more attention to the emotional and spiritual world of people, and pay attention to the understanding of human culture and society. This difference makes liberal arts and science students have different values and ways of thinking when thinking about problems and facing life choices.
3.Social Contribution and Career Choices:The development of science and engineering can promote scientific and technological innovation and the progress of productivity, and make greater contributions to society. The liberal arts, on the other hand, play an important role in humanities education, cultural inheritance and social criticism, and their impact on society is often subtle. In terms of career choice, science and engineering students can choose careers in technology research and development, engineering manufacturing, financial investment, etc.;Liberal arts students can choose careers in education, media, culture and arts.
In conclusion, the differences and complementarities between the liberal arts and science and engineering are obvious, and together they form two important components of the human knowledge system. Only by recognizing the differences and complementarities between the liberal arts and science and engineering can we better grasp the context of human civilization and make greater contributions to social development and personal growth.