Science Is the Supreme Form of All

¶ … science is the supreme form of all knowledge. Is this view reasonable, or does it involve a misunderstanding of science or of knowledge?

The Greeks trumpeted a sound mind and sound body, but even within the sound mind component, there is a clear breakdown: the hard sciences and the cultural sciences. The International Baccalaureate Organization, in its curriculum choice and assessment criteria, establishes firmly that both traditional sciences and cultural sciences constitute knowledge, and a focus solely on and not the other is fraught with misunderstanding.

The IBO uses six criteria to assess progress, and those six domains illustrate clearly that different components make up "knowledge" and the knower cannot only know sciences and expect to have gained "knowledge."

The first domain is building and enforcing students' sense of identity and cultural awareness. One of the greatest challenges today, in times of fierce nationalism bordering on xenophobia, is to truly immerse a student in understanding other people's cultures and background.

A true knower today cannot only know from his or her own perspective alone; rather, the knower must be able to view things from a variety of different perspectives, cultural backgrounds, religious leanings and sexual orientations. That is why this IBO domain is so critical in supplementing science as a form of knowledge.

Specifically, the IBO program requires all students to study at least two other languages at all levels. The number two is critical, because so often it is easy to choose a language already spoken, or spoken prevalently in one's area, so one does not actually learn another culture. Forcing the students to learn two eliminates this problem of knowledge.

Plus, under this first domain, the students study global issues as appropriate to each subject area. They don't just dwell on what their nation or area's issues are. Rather, the teachers ask them to focus on problem solving in a global context; or, at the very least, to examine the implications of any course of study -- whether history, math, physics or literature -- on the global arena. For instance, in a science class, environmental issues can be raised with regard to he rainforests in Brazil. Or, in a literature class, civil rights issues may be raised with regard to women's rights in Saudi Arabia or China.

The second domain is fostering students' recognition and development of universal human values. Again, this domain illustrates that science is not the only form of knowledge. Here, students learn not only to learn, but to use their knowledge for the betterment of humanity. In a normal science class outside the IBO program, links are not made between, for instance, chemiosmotic phosphorylation and the real world.

In the IBO program, that link is made, with a focus towards using the real world knowledge to come up with an understanding of what universal human values are; and indeed, what they should be. This is invaluable in raising children to be tomorrow's leaders. Simply the chemistry knowledge will not engender leadership or compassion.

The third domain is stimulating curiosity and inquiry in order to foster a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning. IBO recognizes that simply drilling in science equations does not equate to bestowing knowledge. A knower must seek knowledge on her own in order to best learn it and be able to use it. One never learns so well in a lecture as one does if a teacher elicits an answer.

Specifically, IBO concentrates here on interdisciplinary learning, recognizing that studying sciences individually is of little impact. However, studying them in the arena of history or literature gives more of a background and allows students to awaken their curiosities to learn better.

The fourth domain is equipping students with the skills to learn and to acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge accordingly across a broad range of areas. This truly is proof that science alone does not constitute language. Drilling home science facts to memorize teaches students only those hard science facts. The true knower learns how to learn and is able to learn those science facts or literature facts on her own.

The true challenge of knowledge is not learning; but to equip oneself to learn in disparate areas and link the subjects for a purer understanding. That is why science alone is not the supreme form of knowledge. To think that misunderstands the very concept of knowledge. Knowledge is the knowledge of how to learn, and IBO stresses that.

The fifth domain is providing international content while responding to local requirements. Surely, knowledge of some issues is critical to students' survival in certain areas of the world. Knowledge of computer programming is key in Silicon Valley and knowledge of coffee growing is key in Columbia.

That said, the IBO incorporates -- through collaborative planning -- an infusion of international aspects to learning local issues whenever possible. The different branches collaborate and structure curricula such that local interests are not ignored. Understanding a science locally is only one form of learning or knowing; it is much more valuable to understand that science, or that literary interpretation, from a global context, while maintaining the student's focus on her local environment.