WJhonson@aol.com wrote:
<<In a message dated saintonge@telus.net writes:
Many new ideas are tangential to a general education about a subject, but are no less important to the advancement of knowledge. Textbooks are instruments for parroting the party line of received wisdom. They do little to address controversial issues.>>
Controversial issues can be handled by citing two conflicting textbooks :) I'm sure that the author of the controversy, wrote her own textbook on it, shortly afterward. If she didn't then we shouldn't *tttttthurst* her onto the main screen either.
I am not at all suggesting that these ideas be put into the "main screen". Nor am I saying that subjects must be controversial, since that would be a presumption of controversy. One merely writes about what he finds; if there is a controversy there will always be someone else available to document the other side.
Ec