Reconciling the Dual Worldviews of Ancient Wisdom and Modernity: Collaborative-Learning Implications for Future Discourse

Abstract

Science, climate change and traditional (or local) knowledge have been at the forefront of many academic and non-academic debates attempting to find discernible or explainable commonalities that exist between opposing worldviews (traditional knowledge/indigenous science vs. Western or Eurocentric Science). Ancient wisdom and modernity have seen their share of controversies over the past decade or more and, in particular, attended by many authors and scientists to explore these two important perspectives. This paper attempts to situate traditional knowledge and modern science by exploring the duality of ancient wisdom and modernity, and, in doing so, creates a better understanding of the importance of these opposing worldviews and how science ancient wisdom and technology/modernism can be interpreted and understood. The paper further explores meaningful interdisciplinary perspectives on how to explain coincidental relationships, components of bridging traditional knowledge/local knowledge (TK/LK) and transforming the compartmentalized view of science within a more holistic understanding of traditional ways of knowing. Lastly, merging Western or Eurocentric Sciences with Traditional Science has important policy implications that justify social-legitimacy through collaborative learning (CL) and integrating system thinking and conflict management.