[Phys-L] Re: Ignatius of Loyola and Science Education

[Pentcho Valev <valevp@BAS.BG>]

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:41:04 -0700, Pentcho Valev <valevp@BAS.BG> wrote:

> Ignatius of Loyola:
>
> "That we may in all things attain the truth, that we may not err in
> anything, we ought ever to hold it a fixed principle, that what I see white
> I believe to be black if the Romish Church define it so to be."

Although Ignatius' principle precludes the learner's thinking, it has
advantages - e.g. it preserves the learner's integrity. Science education
has no advantages - it destroys the integrity since it forces the learner
to accept both an assertion and its negation. For instance:

"The traveller measures the clock at rest to be slower than the travelling
clock but on his return the traveller finds the clock at rest to be faster
than the travelling clock."

Many examples of coexistence of an assertion and its negation can be found
here:

http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00000313/00/engtot.pdf

Pentcho Valev
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