The Two Cultures: An introduction and assessment

This paper examines C. P. Snow's diagnoses of the gap between the sciences and the humanities as presented in his now classical essay The Two Cultures, and his analysis of the associated problems. The first part presents Snow's central thesis and his characterization of the problem. Next, I discuss the solutions that Snow offered to bridge the gap between the culture of the humanities and that of the sciences. After presenting Snow's view, I critically evaluate his characterization of the problem and point out several difficulties with it. Finally, I argue that the two cultures problem is more complex than Snow's analysis might lead us to believe. If this analysis is correct, then bridging the gap between the two cultures will require more than what Snow thought necessary.