Why the Humanities Matter
The study of reason and imagination, which takes place in the humanities, involves grappling — through reading, discussion and frequent writing — with important texts and ideas throughout history and across cultures. The study of other languages enables close encounters with surprising new ways of thinking about and comprehending the world. Such inquiries deepen our understanding of the past, enlarge our perceptions of the present and suggest a range of sustainable paths through the unknown future.
The habits of thought cultivated by our rich programs promote openness, flexibility, observational skills, alertness to moral complexity and the sharpening of our precious human faculties of reason and imagination, so necessary in our ever-more complex world.
The humanities are especially vital in an interconnected, restless world. They foster a genuine and deep understanding of individual and social justice, an authentic appreciation and admiration for difference, and a thrilling and life-enhancing recognition of beauty in its many forms. The study of the humanities inevitably deepens and fundamentally alters our often-narrow concepts of globalism. As the humanities range over cultures and genres, from ancient texts through modern films and popular cultures, they expand the boundaries of our minds. Students have numerous opportunities to hone their powers of reasoning, imagination and discernment.
Humanistic inquiry allows each of us to enter into the ongoing conversation of humankind about things that matter. These conversations and the works of literature and philosophy constitute the essence of what it means to be a human being.