define humanities

define humanities

The Importance and Impact of Humanities Studies in Modern Society

1. Introduction to Humanities and its Definition

In the humanities, how long ago something happened isn’t necessarily a factor in its significance. The study of history focuses on key elements of human conditions that have been constant over long stretches of time, such as government, religion, art, family, social relations, and work. Documents and historical texts from previous periods often reward attention and study because the issues these sources addressed are still with us. From Homer to Hemingway, from the Pyramids to the Parthenon, and from Confucius to Einstein, humanities students can explore topics and advice that might help us with our modern problems and give us a better understanding of our future. So, even if we may never visit or inhabit the distant past or the future, those places, their knowledge and their experiences can help us better understand where and who we are now.

The humanities are a broad field of knowledge and cultural studies that use methods and concepts from history, philosophy, art, music, and literature to study the human experience. Humanities research questions tend to concern individuals, communities, institutions, and societies. For example, historical research might ask questions about how conflicts arise or how governments establish power, while philosophical research concerns such questions as the nature of the mind and its relation to the body or the nature of ethical behavior. Humanities research questions often don’t have a single clear answer but can be approached through constructive dialogue, original interpretations of evidence or texts, and the application of logical methods.

2. Historical Evolution of Humanities as a Field of Study

Humanities came into our Western tradition with the birth of politics, that is with the birth of the “polis”, the city. The development of the Greek city-life led to the question of the reasons for human actions. The problem of what the city could contribute to the flourishing of individual lives led to the birth of the different “techne”. The individual cities finally saw the possibility of setting a balance between complete freedom and absolute dependence on the sovereign, asking science and technology to provide the measures for an “efficient management”, that is to provide what is “necessary” and to put limits on intemperance and desires. At this point in time, “sophia”, “smarts”, meaning human ability to solve the problems that the managing of the city poses, leads to the foundation of the liberal arts, the “artes liberals”. These liberal arts are divided into the “servile” (institutional, managerial, and operational) on one side and the “liberating” (the distinctive, innovative) on the other.

During most of Western history, it was assumed that the goal of the humanities was to make us moral, to inculcate the best values into students, and to train them to be ethical human beings. Deep knowledge of the different areas of human life would then give them the capacities to act masterfully in the world. Much of this incredible richness of the Western tradition has been lost sight of in the modern period. A new transparency seems now to dominate our world, from the way in which people no longer form communities but “networks” that they expect to gain something from, to market fundamentalism, from the way universities have to respond to the tyranny of the customer to the “explicitation” of knowledge that seems happening in the digital age of information. My claim is that it is the role of humanist research to show that much more is possible, desirable, and achievable thanks to education in the humanities. Only research in the humanities can give us the answers to the big and profound questions that human beings always asked.

3. Key Disciplines and Areas of Focus within Humanities

As indicated previously, anthropology plays a very significant role in today’s world. Some of the key practices within anthropology include: international development, environmental or ecological anthropology (the study of the relationship between the earth and people, often examining issues such as climate change, deforestation, desertification, and the loss of biodiversity), effects of globalization (such as displacement, labor rights, unequal wages, and environmental degradation), medical anthropology (the study of human health and our social, cultural, biological, and linguistic interests), political economy, social anthropology (which analyzes the language, behavior, and material relics of social groups and societies), legal and economic anthropology, human ecological theories, and biological anthropology (primarily a focus on hominid evolution, especially those characteristics of humans that are also found in primate relatives). Together, social anthropology is subdivided into 10 major branches, including kinship, economics and time, political, legal, and ecological factors. Such knowledge and insights are useful to a variety of employers, including federal, state, and local government, environmental consulting and planning firms, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and think tanks.

4. The Role of Humanities in Shaping Cultural Identity and Values

Psychology, sociology, and anthropology definitely provide important insights into the understanding of human behavior and society, and lead to the formulation of useful theories in regard to those problems. But it is through a study of the humanities that a student receives a more comprehensive experience, involving the activities of reasoning and discretion as well as of imagination and intuition. The humanities can also provide a useful retrospective – an insight into the enormous depth of our cultural foundations on which to base the choices and judgments facing us in our social and vocational life. Would you invest in a nation where investors often have no sense of history, have no direct appreciation of the implications of their investments, and are only capable of thinking and feeling in the idiom of gambling games?

The humanities do not only serve as an enhancement and mentor to society’s cultural environment, they also shape them. They serve as powerful agents in the cultural evolution of any and every society. We are not solely creatures of our material environment. Our works and products, our dreams and ideals, our loves, our wisdom and our follies, our poetry, our music, and our history – what we value and what we ignore – all help define us as the people we are. The humanities are the proponents of this individuality and the repositories of a proud and flourishing cultural legacy.

5. Practical Applications and Benefits of Humanities in Various Sectors

To complement the purpose of the present volume, we have combined psychological effects with practical applications throughout the chapter. We show that humanities have an effect on the development and in heightening of emotional perception and empathy, decision-making and ethics, trust between agents in economic activity, communication, and personal satisfaction of work. This results in many different industries and professions valuing background in the humanities when it comes to their recruitment of a diverse and multifaceted workforce adding value to their industry.

The liberal arts education provided by the humanities gives graduates flexibility to adapt to a quickly changing work environment. Employees are constantly striving to hone their creativity, critical thinking, and personal ethics. The growth of knowledge in particular sectors means that rapidly evolving workplaces have increased demand for the skills and habits provided by the humanities. There are a multitude of opportunities for humanities students in the various commercial, public, and non-profit sectors. Relying on a variety of case studies on the impact of the humanities, this chapter examines the practical applications, impact, and benefits of humanities in economics and business, technology, engineering and entrepreneurship, policy and law, health and healthcare, and media.