If humanities didn’t exist at all, what would our world look like? Would we still be able to appreciate the dynamic cultures, the beauty of diverse histories, and the value of our unique human experiences? Humanities embody philosophy, religion, music, law, politics, history, archeology, language, literature, and arts. These are branches of knowledge focused on human culture and humans ourselves. And if these disciplines presented by Humanities carry what we have to know about the world we live in, as well as the questions we should keep asking so we could maintain our moral standing, why are there people who still question the relevance of humanities to the college education?
Dull. Stale. Chaotic. Disorganized. That’s what our world would look like if humanities didn’t exist at all. Why? Because Humanities is what enables us to understand, appreciate, and even produce our own forms of art. It’s where we learn how to express ourselves and communicate our thoughts in various art disciplines. It highlights the importance of thinking and reasoning skills, creative thinking, reasoning, and logic (Crawley, M. 2015). These are skills that are necessary so we’d be able to deliver what we have learned. Knowledge about laws and politics help us defend and sustain our democracy by being responsibly informed citizens. Philosophy helps us continuously ask questions that lead to a better understanding of the value of the world and its purpose. Studying literature and language helps us hone communication skills with other people, as well as our culture and theirs. It encourages us to skeptically weigh our evidences, and consider more than one side of every question. Furthermore, studying Humanities teaches us the understanding of beauty and the good, which gives learners the opportunity to practice making good and beautiful things themselves (University of Minnesota Morris, 2015).
It is true that Science and Mathematics are what we frequently use to solve problems in our everyday lives. That’s one of the reasons why Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM is regarded as more important and serious lines of study (Crawley, M. 2015). But both science and humanities are necessary, and we need not neglect one of them in order to thrive on the career path that we are trying to pursue. Maybe some people still fail to see how both aspects are vital for a well-rounded education. But Humanities, just like science, is about discovery. Not only about what’s around us, but also what is within us. It helps us become developed human beings and proper and productive citizens. Humanities is what keeps us from dehumanized versions ourselves.
Sources:
Cawley, M. (2015, March 30). Education Reform. https://sites.psu.edu/educationreform/2015/03/30/the-importance-of-the-humanities-in-a-college-education/
University of Minnesota Morris (2015, October 06). Why Study Humanities? https://academics.morris.umn.edu/humanities-division/why-study-humanities
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