Is this course `political'?
Some people say we should keep political
discussion out of the science classroom.
Is this course on sustainable energy political?
I am happy to offer either answer, so you can take your
pick.
No, it's not
The course will emphasize the general skill
of back-of-envelope calculation, using energy concepts
as examples.
The aim of the course is not to advance
opinions or advocate policies,
but rather to elucidate facts, study inescapable laws of
physics, and understand how to make predictions with error bars.
Yes, like everything we do, it's political
Most of the science courses we teach convey tacit social political messages.
For example, we have courses on semiconductor physics; an implicit
message is `these devices are useful for society' - a value judgment
that I am not disagreeing with, but a value judgment nonetheless.
Our courses on Astrophysics convey the tacit value judgment that
society should support fundamental research into the understanding of Nature
for its own sake.
Our department also teaches a course on `Shockwaves and explosives'.
The main function of research in this area is to help Military organizations
to make `better' bombs. By holding such courses, we are making
a political decision (namely support for the policy of
making `better' bombs).
So, we already have courses that convey implicit political beliefs.
I think it's inevitable that teachers will convey their worldview
to their students. It's also inevitable that teachers
in a department will have different worldviews.
At present we do not debate the morality of teaching semiconductor physics,
Astrophysics, or Shockwaves and explosives.
The question we ask when discussing the merits of a course
is `is it educationally beneficial?' And I would hope this
proposed course on sustainable energy would pass that criterion.
In the interests of openness, however, I am happy to state my
personal political position on energy policy:
I believe that people should be conscious of the consequences
of their consumption; that people should understand the concepts of sustainability,
equity within a generation, and equity between generations; and
that this understanding should be grounded in quantitative facts.
I think that the facts will speak for themselves.
To put it another way, my view on energy policy
is `education, education, education!'
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