My latest article "A Plea for the Classics" argues that Classics are essential and we mustn't discontinue the study of the Classics. In a response, one person argued that humanities used to be important and that my article rested upon a society of the past.
In this article, I will extend my argument, not just arguing that we should preserve the Classics, but rather, that we need to actively preserve all humanities.
Paul Kalanithi, a renowned neurosurgeon, penned the memoir When Breath Becomes Air upon receiving the diagnosis of cancer. Kalanithi not only contributed much to neurology, but also, he was thoroughly educated in literature with a Masters degree; "Literature not only illuminated another’s experience, it provided, I
believed, the richest material for moral reflection. My brief forays
into the formal ethics of analytic philosophy felt dry as a bone,
missing the messiness and weight of real human life".
Shearer West, Ph.D, echoes this point when discussing a new initiative at University of Sheffield; "If you look at what the economic forums say about what skills will be needed to get a job in future, then, it is about being able to think creatively, thinking out of the box, being able to synthesise a large amount of information quickly, having leadership qualities and so on So, they need hard qualities, but they also need these soft qualities that come from the humanities".
Both Kalanithi and West acknowledge the need for humanity (and also, humanities) in every discipline possible. Kalanithi discusses his dehumanization and desensitization in medical school, but how being diagnosed with cancer made him realize that his patients needed someone who was human, not just someone who could cure cancer.
Not only do both Kalanithi and West state that humanities require a different kind of thinking, they believe that this kind of thinking mustn't wane away in the twentieth-first century, as it seems it is.
From a more practical and tangible point of view, imagine you completed medical school, residency, and are practicing in the best hospital in your area. While performing a surgery, you soon discover something that you can do to save someone's life and you want everyone to know about this procedure. How do you get everyone to know?
You write it down. Basic writing skills are learned from not only learning how to write, but learning how to read. The more you read, the better writer you will be. Especially when conveying something of importance, you will aim to write it in the most clear way possible.
How you say what you say is what you say, so it is essential to write as clearly, concisely, and accessibly as possible if you wish to bring forth your ideas.
In an article regarding societal views on English majors, Elizabeth Bonin writes "Without English teachers, you wouldn’t have been able to construct a basic sentence, let alone write all those Paideia papers. Teachers provide us with opportunities for the future. We need them. We need writers as well".
English, History, Latin, Philosophy, and other Humanities teachers are teachers because they wrote papers to get there. These teachers can guide you in the art of constructing a paper, so that when you are an engineer, doctor, programmer, economist, whatever your job is, you can write emails that people understand, convincing and persuasive research, and have overall better function in your career.
Danika McClure, a writer and musician, said "Ultimately, conservative lawmakers need to understand that earning a degree in the humanities is not without merit. While it’s easy for many of these lawmakers to see how scientists and doctors save lives on a day-to-day basis, these same lawmakers fail to see how doctors rely on language interpreters to access medical terminology; how businesses rely on cultural experts to successfully open businesses in new countries; or how political progress is made through thorough historical, social, and cultural understanding".
Whether you like it or not, the humanities are in everything. I am not denying that science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, etc. is useless, in fact, I think that these fields further humanity, but I also think that we have neglected fields that further humanity.
Technology can only do so much to replace humanities and after all, wouldn't you have to use people in humanities to effectively do that?
STEM is important. Humanities are important. They can co-exist without one reigning supreme over the other and in fact, they should co-exist.
The response I talked about in the beginning of this article did not take into account exactly how much humanities and STEM are intertwined and what humanities alone contributes to society.
If we continue neglecting humanities, we will live in a world where no one can communicate effectively, whether through conversation or writing, a world where moral standards and basic philosophy of life are forgotten, and where we, as America, lose what our country was founded and nurtured upon.
The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and other documents that dictate our laws all are inspired of philosophers such as John Locke.
Schools were created with the purpose of teaching the Classics.
Lastly, what separates us all right now is a barrier, a barrier that only compassion can break. I would argue that compassion doesn't come from STEM, I believe compassion exists in STEM, but that humanities foster our humanity. Don't pin the two against each other, let them work in harmony.
