【0906G 文以载道三月四月小组】2.10作业

lilianliUID: 2437378

TOPIC: ISSUE153 - "Students should bring a certain skepticism to whatever they study. They should question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively."


A skeptical attitude, no matter in science and society, is the motivation of the progress. As a student, doubting while studying is the indispensible process to reach great accomplishments. However, over-skepticism results in the prejudice and obstinacy should be abandoned during study.

The function of skepticism, not as general people think, denies the existed facts and cause chaos to the society. In fact, this character stems from the human nature which calls for the exploration to nature and world. During this process the curiosity of people can be satisfied as well as the truth can be found out. Consider the theory of heliocentric conjecture. The theory, although be proved later, contradicted the inherent opinion then and suffered the criticism from the vast majority of people. Copernicus, a great astronomer, risking the danger of persecution and even death, brought out his skepticism to the theory of earth-center. Finally his skepticism changed the false theory to truth. In short, skepticism is the crucial quality one must have when he faces the science.

To students, skepticism, the origin of innovation and improvement, should and must occupy certain position during their study. On the one hand, skepticism not only inspires the interests of student but also provides a way to prove the existed theory. When a student holds different opinions about some knowledge, he will rapidly find the path to testify the knowledge and therefore the innovation may come out, even the traditional theory is broken up and a more step to truth is taken. On the other hand, without the skepticism while learn the knowledge, students may become a machine that just consumes the material and no products are made. It is a pity thing that the students only are stuffed with but not deposit their own ideas to change or improve the knowledge.

Admittedly, over-skepticism which result in prejudice and mislead students is not propitious to the study. The skepticism should be reasonable and not against to truth on purpose. There is no meaning to doubt the height of the mountain as well as the depth of the sea. The skepticism like this just deters the normal process to knowledge. More thinking, concentrating on time, universe, the origin of human beings, can be encouraged by teachers. And students should distinct the existed truth and theory needing more consideration. Through this kind of reasonable skepticism, students can learn more and find what useful to them.

All in all, studying without skepticism is stepping to the end of the scientifical road regardless of the path to truth; studying with over-skepticism is wasting the energy as well as resource on the devious alley. To accelerate the speed to progress we should call for a balance between over-skepticism and total acceptance.