The Contradiction Between Two Schemes Of Culture & The Construction Of Humanistic Spirit

As early as in 1930s, in his book History of Science and New Humanism, the American historian George Sarton once proposed the idea of'Humanization of Science,'appeal to construct a kind of new scheme of culture, namely scientific and humanistic culture. However, only after C.P.Snow's work, the relation between the two schemes of culture began to cause attentions of Western scholars. Snow considered that within the scope of Western intellectuals, there occurred the division of two opposed community: one group of intellectuals called themselves as humanistic; while another group called themselves as scientist represented by physicians. These two groups of intellectuals hold different background of education, different perspective of disciplined training, different objectives of study, as well as different method of and implement of investigation. Their fundamental notions about culture and value usually were opposed to each other, there occurred terrible gap, there was even hostility between these two groups of people. Snow called the two groups of intellectuals who are opposed to each other as two schemes of culture.More than half of a century passed, there occurred inconsistent endeavors to appeal the communication and harmony of the two schemes of culture from different angels. On one hand, Sarton proposed the ideal of scientific humanism; Michael Polanyi developed the idea of scientific humanism; A.H.Maslow practiced the ideal of scientific humanism in discipline of psychology. On the other hand, K.R.Popper started to criticize the rationalism; the post-modernists R.M.Rorty & Paul Karl Feyerabend suggested the return from scientific to humanistic and the elimination of the boarder of the two types of studies; David. Grrifen presented the constructive doctrine of post-modern science. But along with the social development, science is getting more and more powerful, the two schemes of culture do not get harmony not only in reality, but also is getting more and more alienated. We recognize very clearly that one scheme of culture is intending to be superior to another scheme of culture. Contemporarily, the tension between the two...