Culture clash
C P Snow’s ‘Two Cultures’ lecture provoked a savage response from fellow critic F R Leavis. What was at the heart of it all? - by Sam Dresser Read on Aeon
Charles Percy Snow's 1959 Rede Lecture at the University of Cambridge gave birth to the phrase "the two cultures," which has since become widely cited but has largely lost its original meaning. Born in a lower-middle-class family from Leicester, Snow rose to an upper station in English society, living in a prestigious London neighborhood and issuing authoritative opinions on books, politics, and science.
His lecture introduced the concept of two distinct ways of understanding the world: science and the humanities. Snow, a physicist-turned-novelist, believed that his unique background allowed him to observe the "intellectual society" of the West, noting a significant cultural divide between scientists and literary intellectuals. While scientists read literature casually, intellectuals had a superficial respect for science and a lack of familiarity with scientific principles, such as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Despite the lecture's provocative nature and Snow's modest delivery, it sparked a public backlash, with Cambridge scholar F.R. Leavis delivering a scathing rebuttal. This confrontation between Snow and Leavis represents a fundamental difference in approaches to life and inquiry, highlighting the enduring tension between the two cultures.
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