Abstract
WE had thought that the old controversy between science and the classics had been finally disposed of, but a resolution submitted on January 22 to the Lower House of Convocation of Canterbury came perilously near raising it once more. The resolution was moved by Dr. E. G. Selwyn, dean of Winchester, who urged that the revival of classical education is necessary for the good of the Church and of the nation. The classical outlook, in his view, stands for humanism, which includes the belief in absolute standards of conduct and in individual personality. Classics must, however, be made less specialized, and more room must be found for science. On the other hand, it must be recognized by science that concentration on material things imposes certain limitations. Thus in Dr. Selwyn's view, although modifications in the classical type of education are desirable, science would be admitted almost as a poor relation, presumably in deference to the needs of the times.
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Science and the Classics. Nature 149, 134 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/149134a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/149134a0