Human Governance

The humanities are the branch of studies that deal with linguistics, literature, philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, human geography, law, politics, religion, and art. Lately, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) have been very dominant-that is fine, but this has led some people to believe that the humanities are dead and useless. However, this could not be farther from the truth. Although each are important on their own, the subjects in the field of humanities together form an invaluable and important field of disciplines that remain necessary in the modern world for the purpose of our participation in democracy.

In essence, the humanities are the study of being human. Each discipline studies a different aspect of human life, and thus they are all necessary if we are to continue being human. The fruits that the humanities bear to us are especially useful in today’s world, where people are more in contact with each other than ever before, with our interactions with one another happening more and more frequently.

This is because the humanities work to help us understand society, what a hard task it may be. The advent of liberal democracy only intensifies this, where many of us, now for the first time in history, hold the responsibility of governing ourselves.

At a time such as this, the disciplines of the humanities are more important than ever to help us in our task of maintaining society and democracy. Our society depends on people who understand how to communicate with each other in the interconnected and globalized world we live in.

Our society desperately needs people who understand our history, those who are able to look back into the past and see how it affects our present and understand what it implies for our future. Now, we simply cannot put off the responsibility of being knowledgeable to others. Our society has a need for philosophers, people who are able to make use of critical thinking, questioning, rationality, and apply those principles to life, because in a time when more is at stake than seems possible, it is a matter of the highest importance that we make sure we think things through.

It is of the highest importance that now, when we have more influence on the lives of others than ever before, that we are able to understand ethics and behave ethically, to recognize virtue in ourselves and others.

Studying world religions is also important as ever due to the influence that religion has on people. If human beings want to cooperate then they must learn to first understand each other, and being educated on religion is a fundamental element of that.

At a time when each person bears the responsibility of a citizen rather than a subject, one must embrace the humanities in order to understand and work with others and to guide themselves and society.

Author Brandon Seff

Editor Suhh Yeon Kim

Bibliography

“Humanities.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

www.britannica.com/topic/humanities.

Strauss, Valerie. “Analysis | Why We Still Need to Study the Humanities in a STEM

World.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 5 Apr. 2019,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/10/18/why-we-still-need-to-study-the-humanities-in-a-stem-world/

Anders, George. You Can Do Anything: the Surprising Power of a "Useless" Liberal Arts

Education. Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company, 2019.

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