ISSN Печать: 2151-805X
ISSN Онлайн: 2151-8068
Understanding Creationist Physicians and Engineers as Students and Collaborators in Biomedical Engineering
Краткое описание
Creationism is not uncommon among members of the medical and engineering professions. While this circumstance may seem counterintuitive, it is consistent with the history of both professions. Both medicine and engineering avoided science until the 19th century, and education in both professions did not incorporate science into their curricula until the 20th century. Until fairly recently, these professions were primarily empirical. Their primary goal has been and still is problem solving, and if one sees problem solutions as truths, they can be termed "truth professions." Science is an "understanding" profession, and the most fundamental understanding in biological science is the natural selection model of Neo-Darwinism. It can be reasoned that truth professions attract individuals who find fulfillment in developing truths, and science attracts individuals who can endure uncertainty. Because religious individuals are psychologically more accustomed to thinking in terms of truths, they tend to gravitate toward truth professions. Their training does not, generally, include rigorous science, so they can satisfy any licensing requirements without exposure to biology in depth. As students, however, those who major in biological subjects−including bioengineering−face the requirement of understanding evolutionary theory. This presents problems for both student and professor.