The Teaching of Science and Ethics : A Multidisciplinary Approach

At the liberal arts college where I teach, many of our science courses intertwine ethical and political issues with the science. We have a very small science and mathematics department, and are not able to present a traditional science curriculum. There are also no science requirements; we have to work hard to attract students to our science courses. One method is to include ethical and political questions. This paper explores three courses I teach of this nature, The Science and Politics of the Atom Bomb, Energy and Sustainability, and Genes and Race. I explore the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and draw some conclusions about its efficacy. I make the claim that for a general education audience, it is very important to include such issues. The same is also true for science students, of course, but for somewhat different reasons