George Orwell’s “What is Science?”

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As a novelist and journalist, George Orwell was very passionate about the education of future generations; in the article “What Is Science,” Orwell addressed the idea of more education in the sciences. Orwell both defined the word science and argued that more education in the sciences would not have the positive effect that was expected. Science was split between two different meanings; it was either referred to the subjects, like chemistry and biology, or to the method of scientific thinking where a valid result was determined from obtaining observed facts. Orwell felt that the two definitions were far from interchangeable. Many people automatically assumed that more knowledge in the sciences referred to learning more about the sciences that were taught in the classroom. But more knowledge in those fields did not necessarily mean an overall more educated or moral group of people. Orwell believed that it was foolishly assumed by people that scientists had a more intelligent view on unrelated topics, like politics, than non-scientists. Coming from a time period where World War II was fresh in everyone’s head, Orwell mentioned the German lifestyle during wartime to prove how untrue it was that scientists had a trusting view on politics. Orwell felt that scientists accepted certain immoral actions taken by the government; since scientists received little limitations to their work during World War II, they kept quiet and stood behind the unjust government. But those in jobs like German literature had to face many repercussions and restrictions dealing with what they were allowed to write and publish because of political issues. This did not necessarily mean that people should not be more scientifically educated in the classroom subjects; it just may lead to the downfall of literature and history among the masses. It also would not respect other areas of knowledge if education focused primarily on science. Instead, Orwell proposed that scientific education should mean having a more rational and experimental mind, not necessarily more knowledge in the sciences. Unfortunately, “The idea that science means a way of looking at the world, and not simply a body of knowledge, is a practice strongly resisted;” many scientists, according to Orwell, disliked this idea because they would appear to be less impressive and prestigious with others being so educated. Orwell did point out how the feeling was mutual in the literary world; those who dedicated their lives to history or literature also felt that they were in the superior field. But Orwell noted that he was living in a time period where people were focusing on more education in the sciences, so it was rare for a promotion of more education in history and literature. Being a man very devoted to literature, Orwell wanted to reach out and convince the general public, who were essentially the ones who were going to be educated, that a world with more education in the sciences was not guaranteed to be a successful one.