Humanities

Humanities consists of art, literature, music, philosophy, religion and theater. Some of the successful people (mostly virtuosi) in this field have helped shaped western civilization.

Importance of Humanities[edit]

Humanities help teach people values and also bring in knowledge, that can lead to wisdom, and also teach character education. Without humanities, we easily fall into nihilism as well as scientific materialism. Learning and studying humanities helps people not only build character, but teaches childlike wonder, creativity, discipline, innovation, moral values, right-brain thinking, perseverance, writing skills and many more.^{[1][2] [3]}

Studying the humanities is important to keep people human in a tech-driven, fast-paced world. As Sophia Gilbert states; “What the humanities teach, what literature and art and music and philosophy and history teach, is that the correct description and analysis of human life is not a scientific affair." ^[4] Even Steve Jobs acknowledged the importance of humanities in the creation of Apple. ^[5]

Impact on America's Founding[edit]

The founding father's religious beliefs came from the Judeo-Christian values found in the Bible. ^[6] As Ben Shapiro states thanks to Judeo-Christian values and God "human beings have moral duty not out of pragmatism but out of principle; that human beings have the capacity and obligation to better their world; that every human being is created in the image of God." ^[7]. While the founders did not create a theocracy, its Founding was deeply shaped by Christian moral values. ^[8] While every other nation has been defined by Race and ethnicity the United States of America has been defined by values. ^[9]

Humanities vs STEM[edit]

Unlike STEM subjects which tell us, what is, the humanities help teach us what should be. As the Christian Post points, out that humanities are vital to our spiritual well-being, while STEM subjects teach people facts and information, the humanities teach people meaning and wisdom. Unlike Humanities, STEM cannot give people purpose, values, or real significance. Unfortunately, STEM education is being emphasized at the expense of the humanities. ^[10] As the government falsely believes that the best way to close the gap is to increase the number of students pursuing STEM degrees. ^[11] During Obama's presidency he made improving STEM education a priority. ^[12] Science and technology have dominated culture, this has led to the science replacing religion as the main source of questions. ^[13] Up until this generation, the vast majority of Americans have been religious. But now more than a third of Americans born after 1980 affiliate with no religion. Religion is one of the biggest providers of meaning. ^[14] A study by the Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity IV had shown that the nonprofit arts and culture industry accounts for more than four million full-time jobs and more than $135 billion in economic activity. Also, it generates over $22 billion in revenue for local, state, and federal governments each year. ^[15]

How Leftists Ruined Them[edit]

Liberals have ruined great humanities, in ways such as promoting atheism and lowering the standards and ruining the arts. Traditionally the primary purpose of art was to elevate people through beauty, artistic excellence, and emotional depth. The left changed the primary purpose of art to shock. It also ruined literature as The English department at the University of Pennsylvania replaced the portrait of great the Christian English-language writer William Shakespeare, with a picture of a black lesbian poet. As leftist professors have replaced the pursuit of excellence with the pursuit of diversity. ^[16] Hollywood, has also ruined Humanities because of Hollywood Values. Not to mention the education system, where many colleges do not require their students in humanities-based programs to take Shakespeare, instead of having them focus more on narcissism, and an obsession with victimhood. ^[17] In some cases, even when technically teaching humanities-based courses, such as Chaucer and other literature courses, they generally use it as a platform for promoting 1960s decadence and various leftist projects such as the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as anti-Christian rhetoric, sometimes even falsely implying they are connected to the literature course they are teaching.

Humanities vs Humanism[edit]

It is important to understand the difference between Humanities and Humanism. Humanities focus more on the mind, and what we can create and invent as humans since we have free will and opposes scientific materialism, humanism, on the other hand, is more about taking pride in being human and supports scientific materialism.

References[edit]