humanities essay topics

humanities essay topics

The Importance of Studying Humanities

1. Introduction

Coming down to the less sophisticated forms of civilization, it is now the mechanic and the engineer rather than the philosopher and the statesman that act as leaders. But an improvement in the tools and conditions of life can do no more than provide the material readiness for progress. This progress may mean a descent rather than an ascent in the scale of human values: it may be deviation rather than development. Only when such a possibility is acceptable can science have the confidence in itself to claim the entire field of education as its own.

High civilization is a matter of extraordinary complexity and delicate adjustment. Its forms are manifold, its manifestations diverse. There are no simple tricks or such as may be learned once for all. Civilization has many intricate and elaborate patterns that are woven not of one but of many threads. And these threads are of such variety and changeability as to cause infinite confusion to one that is not oriented in the distinctions between them. He that would solve the riddle of a philosopher’s thought, or the symbol of a myth, or the action of a statesman, must call into play the best of his analytic powers. And these powers are not born with man. They are the result to a continuance of the highest sort of mental training.

As a critical inquiry into meaning, the humanities are as essential as the sciences to the education of every university student. To be truly educated, a student must also be cultivated, to achieve culture. In the words of Sir Richard Livingstone, “culture is what is left when what has been learned has been forgotten.” In this statement is the echo and re-echo of the traditional concept of the education of the ruling classes of the Near East, of the ideal of a rounded training, an έπιστήμη, of cultivation. The word έπιστήμη was of broad significance, embracing knowledge of every kind. The essence of έπιστήμη was a training directed at the vital forces of man and not at his mechanical skill.

2. Benefits of Studying Humanities

One of the most important arguments for the study of literature is that it develops qualities and abilities which are very valuable in the world outside the university. We think it is reasonable to say that a person who knows a lot of literature but has no common sense is “educated” only in a specialized and unhelpful way; it is also possible to imagine the unfortunate individual who knows how to live, how to get on, how to make himself agreeable to people in power, and yet cannot write a letter to his bank manager which is free from unfortunate solecisms. Nevertheless, it is true that the peculiar virtue of literary study is the training it gives in handling ideas and information of a certain special kind. This is a kind of information which is in constant danger of being lost to the world, whether through the press of affairs, through suppression by the powerful or through the activity of its enemies, because it is irritating and discomforting; it is the kind of information of which we shall have more and more need as we approach the end of an age of cheap and easy optimism, and we can only secure it, or secure a sufficiency of it, if there are those among us who devote themselves to special studies outside the range of enquiries which are immediately and obviously profitable.

3. Impact of Humanities on Society

The impact of humanities on modern global societies is often underestimated, especially in comparison with the natural and physical sciences. It is commonly said that the importance of the humanities in education is that they are a means of educating democratic citizens and critical understandings of values. This could not be more vital given the current global financial crisis. Critical understandings of the values that have led to the crisis are important if societies are to learn from the mistakes. In order to do this, we need the people who carry out the analysis of past events, such as historians or even anthropologists who can compare different economic systems throughout time. These are the lessons that will better equip the leaders of tomorrow to deal with turbulent times in the global economy.

Key aspects of society such as structured disciplines, national governments, commerce, and political order can be traced back to cultural and philosophical learning within the humanities. In some civilizations, such as Ancient Greece, the cultural aspects of the humanities were largely the influence behind the development of government and a structured society. We can still see evidence of this today. For example, Australian society is still influenced by the great minds of the ancient world. It is those of Plato and Aristotle and the epic tales of Homer that are the basis of much of the education system. These tales have been a catalyst for the Christian beliefs and ideals of the last two millennia. Thus, the effect of humanities on a society can have an incredibly long-term effect, often in ways that are unforeseen. Even in Islamic nations, it was the works and ideas of the ancient cultures that were the building blocks for more modern learning and development.

4. Challenges and Criticisms of Humanities

One of the key concerns of humanities would certainly be whether the knowledge and values which are being taught are still relevant in today’s context. In the Western, as well as in the eastern education system, the emphasis has always been on the teaching of mathematics and science subjects, geared at equipping students with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to compete in today’s world. The drive towards greater economic development has led to an increasing priority given to studying subjects which are more technical in nature at the expense of the liberal arts. This is especially so in Asia; Singapore is a good example of a country where the study of the humanities is increasingly regarded as a dispensable luxury. The recent effort to merge the NUS and NTU’s faculty of arts and social sciences has given rise to doubts as to whether an institution with NTU’s orientation wants to maintain a competitive arts faculty. This shift in education policy is an indication that the relevance of humanities is being called into question in especially technical societies. Evidently, these societies link economic productivity and material wealth with human progress. As such, higher education has been increasingly seen as a means to an end, and not an end in itself. People are judging the worth of an education by how much it can increase one’s earning power, and the value of arts and literature students are being measured against this utilitarian yardstick. Such an environment does not bode well for the humanities and its students. The arts students of today are tomorrow’s custodians of the nation’s culture. If the arts have no place in education or society, the implications for culture and identity in the long term may be disastrous. Today’s culture may still be sustained by the study of past cultural traditions, but the students of tomorrow will have to find their own answers in an environment where there is nothing and no one to refer to. It is for this reason that the relevance of the humanities must be evaluated into the future.

Despite the triumphant and significant progress achieved in the contemporary world, the dark ages of humanity still linger on, the rotten stench of their poverties. As we march on into the 21st century, might the study of humanities be the basis of human excellence or the salt that has lost its savor? The study of humanities will likely pose various challenges and criticisms as some may wonder if this discipline is really needed in the new global order where science and technology seem to predominate.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, being the oldest branch of learning, humanities has provided a series of knowledge and new perception for the benefits of humankind. It has contributed in shaping and questioning the understanding of certain issues faced by human beings. It is definitely that humanities have opened up to possibilities of truth and understanding in helping human beings cope with various problems. This has been a tradition in humanities, from a historical viewpoint, this tradition helps us to see the range of possibilities of human life as well as the range of the problems. This is in line with the vision of UKM which wants to manifest itself as a premiere research university, an aspiration or a wish of scholars in their efforts to search for knowledge to understand the world that they are experiencing. This we can see as involving a vision about how things could be better for the university, as well as a vision of how to make things better. This tradition prompts us to always ask about the humanity and state of being human. Because of this, it is clear that humanities are indeed important for UKM as well as for any person who wants to know something meaningful about what it is to be human. This would definitely be a noble cause for the betterment of human life.