Both Pinker and Lehrer use their essays to argue that science is a valuable tool to help understand the world. Pinker claims that “science gets the empirical universe; religion gets the questions of moral meaning and value”. Throughout his essay, Pinker explains how religion is not backed up by science and therefore we should strive to focus on studying science over traditional, opinion based ideas such as faith or politics. Similar to Pinker’s beliefs, Lehrer believes that science and art should be taught together in the education system to create innovation and understanding for future scientists. Lehrer states in his essay that “by heeding the wisdom of the arts, science can gain the kinds of new insights and perspectives that are the seeds of scientific progress”. He believes that by using the arts, scientists are able to think on a more creative level and think outside of the box. At some moments, scientists need to take a step back and figure out a different way of looking at a theory. Although each author has his own philosophies, both believe that science is an important way of understanding the world around us. Instead of resorting to a subject that is not scientifically proven or looking at just science alone, it is essential for scientists look at science in a new perspective in a factual and intelligent manor.
Pinker and I share similar beliefs on religion and science. Pinker claims in his essay that religion is “the search for meaning, purpose, and morality” to argue that religion is something one uses to find the meaning of life and why the individual is present. It is his belief that individuals who value studying meaning and understanding are not as important as those who study the fundamental aspects of the world, such as chemistry, physics, and biology. The disciplines that incline more towards understanding the universe and the living things it holds should be taken more seriously in this developing world. Similar to Pinker’s beliefs, I feel that religion is a personal matter, whereas science seems to be more factual and credible. I believe that science is an area we should spend most to all of our time on because it helps us understand the world we are living in. With that understanding we can solve problems, such as curing diseases and halting climate change. I believe that Pinker and I have the same views on religion, as we feel religion does not have an scientific proof, allowing it to be named a personal philosophy. Individuals should use scientific theories to understand the world, rather than relying on religion.
Careful. Do you have evidence for your claim that Lehrer wants to teach arts alongside science in the classroom? Your paragraphs’ organization choices look great. I would, however, revisit our sources to make sure you have a strong grasp on their main arguments.