Creative and critical thinking in the arts and sciences: some examples of congruence

In his landmark 1959 Rede lecture and subsequent publication, physicist Charles Percy Snow expressed concerns over what he saw as a growing rift between scientific and literary scholarly communities (Snow 1959). In the 50 years since that time, scholars and other commentators have expended a great d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forum on public policy 2010-06, Vol.2010 (2)
Main Author: Karakas, Scott L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Art Activities
Art and science
Art Products
Artists
Creative ability
Creative Thinking
Critical Thinking
Cultural Differences
Educational aspects
Humanities
Sciences
Scientists
Thinking Skills
World History
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Summary:In his landmark 1959 Rede lecture and subsequent publication, physicist Charles Percy Snow expressed concerns over what he saw as a growing rift between scientific and literary scholarly communities (Snow 1959). In the 50 years since that time, scholars and other commentators have expended a great deal of intellectual capital in the analysis of observed cultural differences between the sciences on one side, and the arts and humanities on the other. While it is important to acknowledge and explore these differences, both perceived and actual, it is also worthwhile to recognize those ideas and practices shared in common between the two cultures. One such area of common ground is the utilization of creative and critical thinking skills by practitioners within both the arts/humanities and the sciences. Although creative thinking has traditionally been associated with the former and critical thinking with the latter, even a brief examination of the evidence suggests the essential nature of both creative and critical thinking within each of the two cultures. This paper begins with a sampling of modern definitions for both critical and creative thinking, then discusses a few selected examples illustrating how these modes of thought can play complementary roles in traditions of both scientific and humanistic thought.
ISSN:1556-763X
1938-9809