Towards the end of his essay he has a section titled, “Education, for Good and Evil” where Funnyman talks about the good and bad things that go along with science and just the human race in general. How does Funnyman’s explanation of education and knowledge relate to the way he views the different paths anyone could take, whether it be good or evil?
Why is education one of Funnyman’s values of science? Why does Funnyman consider education to be such a powerful force? Education plays a huge role in science, and is also a very strong force when it is being used. In the reading Funnyman talks about how education relates to many other powerful forces such as sobriety, material power, communication and many more. That these forces can be used for either good or evil, and that science does not directly teach anyone to be kind or bad.
Funnyman considers education, in particular, to be such a strong force because once it is used in a unofficial way, ‘that if some direction or meaning could be given to our actions, great human forces would be unleashed”(Page 70). Funnyman is basically saying that once people had possibilities that were more developed, the smarter everyone can be. That once people became less ignorant they began to further their knowledge. Now Funnyman directly says in his essay that, ‘The first way in which science is of value is familiar to everyone.
It is that scientific knowledge enables us to do all kinds of things and to make all kinds of things” (Page 64). But Funnyman also says that, ” of course if we make good things, it is not only to the credit of science; it is also the credit of moral choice which led us to good work” (Page 64). Then Funnyman adds that, ” scientific knowledge is an enabling power to do either good or bad” (Page 64). What Funnyman is trying to say and how he is trying to relate his views of education and knowledge and his views on the different paths someone could take is that there are no instructions telling us to use scientific knowledge for good.
That knowledge is clearly a huge value but hat power can be negative depending on how a person Uses it. Another part of Funnyman’s essay that deals with his views on how education and the pathways people take relate is when he says, ” The sciences do not directly teach good and bad” (Page 70). Funnyman is saying that nobody is being taught straight forward on whether to use their knowledge for good or evil, its up to each person to choose which path they would like to go down. Again, education is a very powerful force and is very valuable with how it is talked about in the reading “
The Values of Science”. There are a few reasons why Funnyman considers education to be one of his values of science. Funnyman considers education as one of his values of science because knowledge helps us to do great things, and make great things that are beneficial. That with knowledge comes magnificent success. Another reason why Funnyman says education is a value of science is because it is fun. That people find enjoyment in reading, learning or thinking about it while others find enjoyment in working on science in order to gain knowledge from it.
