Functional morphology as a tool in general education

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. This paper explores the proposition that in morphology, or any other scientific subject, every statement is based on multiple assumptions already in our minds before we begin to teach or do research in the field. Progress in morphology is intimately related to its philosophical and historical foundations. Personalities, social pressures and cultural traditions also play major roles in the often complex and circuitous routes of scientific discovery. General education provides a foundation for understanding these many interactions. Morphology, itself, is a metaphor for inter-relatedness, and this metaphor can be used to explore general education in the broadest sense. Morphology is not only a body of knowledge and processes for producing that knowledge but also groups of people deciding on directions, collaborating on methods, and consulting on concepts. A morphologist is a member of a community of understanding in a culture composed of diverse and often conflicting influences. I suggest that exploring these issues is an important pedagogic tool for discovering and understanding the foundations of morphology as a scientific endeavor. This paper is appropriately dedicated to Professor Milton Hildebrand who understands well the interdisciplinary nature of scientific discovery. © 1989 by the American Society of Zoologists.