An Overview of the Humanities
What are the humanities?
Humanities – including art, language, philosophy, history, literature, jurisprudence, and religion – are disciplines to help us understand the world around us. They allow us to imagine and create the future. Humanities are everything related to humans, their ideas, beliefs, emotions, and relationships.
Why the humanities?
The humanities have a dual purpose – they expand our knowledge of human cultures helping us to understand what binds us together and what differentiates us from one another. In addition, they provide practical applications that can boost one’s professional skillset and help to provide a competitive edge. The humanities have been and will continue to be the basis of human cultures and source of our perceptions of different cultures.
Top left: Jaegwon Kim was a Korean-American modern philosopher. Top right: Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy. Bottom left: Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was an African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and author who was born into slavery. Bottom right: Fatema Mernissi was a founder of Islamic Feminism.
1. Jaegwon Kim was a Korean-American modern philosopher. 2. Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy. 3. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was an African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and author who was born into slavery. 4. Fatema Mernissi was a founder of Islamic Feminism.
Are the humanities important?
“The sciences are the ‘how,’ and the humanities are the ‘why’—why are we here, why do we believe in the things we believe in? I don’t think you can have the ‘how’ without the ‘why.’”
~George Lucas
“The Arts and Humanities aren’t just there to be consumed when we have a free moment. We need them like medicine. They help us live.”
~Barack Obama
“The Arts and Humanities teach us who we are and what we can be. They lie at the very core of the culture of which we’re a part.”
~ Ronald Reagan
What skills can you gain by studying humanities?
The humanities offer broadly applicable skills which directly benefit individuals in their personal and professional lives. Through exploration of the humanities, we learn how to think creatively and critically, to reason, and to ask questions. These skills allow us to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to business models and politics.
Learning about the human experience adds to our knowledge about our world. The great accomplishments of the past help us understand the world we live in and give us tools to imagine the future. Investigating a branch of philosophy might get you thinking about ethical questions. Learning another language might help you gain an appreciation for the similarities in different cultures. Contemplating a sculpture might make you think about how an artist’s life affected her creative decisions. Reading a book from another region of the world, might help you think about the meaning of democracy. Listening to a history course might help you better understand the past, while at the same time offer you a clearer picture of the future.
Come discover more about our world through our September History Live! events.
