The humanities do not need to make a case within the university, because the humanities are the heart of the university. Golfers do not need to justify to their foursomes the rationale for hitting little white balls; philatelists do not need to explain to their stamp-collecting societies what makes them excited about vintage postage. So too, for humanists: The university can be many things, but without us, a university it will not be.A classical education enables one to look at the world with an experienced mind, one formed by centuries of thoughtful reflection.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Hmm …
… There Is No Case for the Humanities - The Chronicle of Higher Education.
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I knew it was time to leave my adjunct gig at a big state university system when I was called into a series of meetings and asked to rework my medieval literature classes to respond to questions of "workplace relevance." When I argued that medieval lit didn't have obvious workplace relevance, but that knowledge of the deep roots of English was useful to anyone who used the language and helps make students better readers, thinkers, and citizens, I got laughed at, literally, by a bureaucrat with a PhD in art history and a background in the classics. That was one of several signs that it was time for me to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm overdue to write a blog post about the whole experience. I can't possibly embarrass those bureaucrats any more than they've already embarrassed themselves.
Well, Jeff, the people you describe may be credentialed, but they sure in hell don't sound educated to me. Wonder if they've heard of Jordan Peterson, who would definitely agree with what you told them.
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