Each year at UNC-Greensboro, faculty representatives of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences debate over which of the disciplines “is superior and therefore who should be allowed to stay on the hypothetical raft after a shipwreck.” (It’s easy to see applications of this theory to departmental course decisions in the event of a real budget-cutting “shipwreck.”) The Raft Debate was the idea of UNCG economics professor Bruce Caldwell.
The natural sciences won this year, as last. It was heralded as the font for material progress and the other, “lesser” disciplines. Social sciences were put forth as the blend of both humanities and natural sciences.
The humanities were said to be “always trying to understand what it is to be in transition” and “to understand others who are different, stirring their own minds, as well as the minds of their students,” with “the real battle” being to “ensure consciences keep hopping.”
Arrrrr, cast him into th’ sea, the pond’rous scalawag!
