R: This House Prefers Science to Science Fiction
Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room
All books are equal, but some books are more equal than others. The lessons may vary from book to book, but every book has something to teach. Be it philosophy, or empathy, or theoretical physics, we learn when we read. The question then becomes, what books do we read with our limited time? What should we be studying?
Do we value the empirical nature and objectivity of the sciences and non-fiction, or do we laud the creative imagination of fiction and its ability to communicate truth through relatable characters?
Do we learn more about the human condition from the science or literature? Do we fully understand the social and natural sciences through study or story? Is our time best spent in the laboratory or in the library? Was fiction a genre of our childhood or is there more to learn? Does literature have value?