It seems that Jay’s point moves us to a new consideration.

Hume wrote: “Reason is, or ought only to be slave of passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.” (Treatise, II.III.iii)

I think our leaders understand the evidence quite well, but knowledge does not entail action. Passionally it is in their interest to appear to do something but to take as few political and economic risks as possible. (Which is what the Obama approach amounts to.) Furthermore, believing that anthropogenic global warming is occurring and that it is politically, socially, economically, and technologically possible to make a significant impact on it, does not entail the belief that we ought to. There are those like Lomborg who recognize the fact but deny the duty.

Better scientific literacy will not change the fact that there is not an axiological entailment here.

It is a question of values. Do we want “ethical literacy” as well? This seems to be the issue here.

Michael K

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From: "Dr. P.J. Fleisher" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2009 18:40:26 -0500
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Science Literacy Article

No surprise here.  Take the topic of Global Warming.  With all of the mounting evidence, even our Global leaders can't seem to understand the most basic, self evident reality.  Perhaps they do, and the answer lies in the fact that when people don't know what to do, they do nothing, or may be they are just to scared to act.  This simply confirms what we hear daily in the media.  The solution lies with better education for pre-schoolers in the future, which translates into better future teachers.
Jay

-----Original Message-----
From: Teaching Breakfast List on behalf of Terry L. Helser
Sent: Thu 12/3/2009 1:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Science Literacy Article

Cool! We are doing something correct, just not enough.
http://www.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/summer2009/hobson.cfm
Cheers!
Terry