To take the example of earth science, a very specialized discipline, man's cognitive knowledge of nature is its specialist content, but to go a step higher and investigate the interactive relationship between man and ecology or man and the future condition of life requires a broad-based, multidisciplinary approach.
就以地球科學這門專業學科為例，人所認識的自然是專業，提昇到人與生態的互動、人與未來生命處境就是通識。