Significance of Arts and Humanities in Contemporary Times

Why Humanities?

Gaining knowledge is a piece of cake in the contemporary world. But, knowledge alone is not the only pursuit one should be concerned with. A character is necessary too. How does character represent a person? Does character determine one’s success? How? What is a character? To be exact it is moral strength or integrity.

More About Humanities

"In my definition, the humanities not only include literature of both ancient and modern languages, the performing arts, philosophy, comparative religion, and cultural studies, but also history, anthropology, and linguistics, although the latter three are often on the border between humanities and the social sciences."

"What follows are my own reasons to study the humanities, with a particular focus on the arts. My reasons balance utility with the more idealistic quality of life issues. Thus, I want to stress both the isness and does ness of the humanities, which in fact is a version of the Horatian credo of delighting and instructing. On the utility or does ness side, I would stress the value of learning to think critically and independently, read powerfully and perceptively, write lucidly and precisely, and speak articulately. On the quality of life or isness side, I would stress that the arts take us into imagined worlds created by different minds and enable us to understand how others live." We are what we read, the museums we visit and the performances we see and hear. They are as much us — part of our memories, our isness — as the culture we inherit and the life experiences we have. That entry into other worlds and minds does give us a larger context for thinking about how to live and how to confront and understand present personal and historic issues, even while also giving us pleasure for its own sake.

"Through exploration of the humanities, we learn how to think creatively and critically, to reason, and to ask questions…these skills allow us to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to business models and politics, humanistic subjects have been at the heart of a liberal arts education since the ancient Greeks first used them to educate their citizens. Research into the human experience adds to our knowledge about our world. Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures, about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past, help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the future."

"Today, humanistic knowledge continues to provide the ideal foundation for exploring and understanding the human experience. Investigating a branch of philosophy might get you thinking about ethical questions."

Learning another language might help you gain an appreciation for the similarities in different cultures. Contemplating a sculpture might make you think about how an artist's life affected her creative decisions.

"Reading a book from another region of the world might help you think about the meaning of democracy. Listening to a history course might help you better understand the past, while at the same time offer you a clearer picture of the future."

Ivy League Universities Offering Humanities

1. Brown University

2. Columbia University

3. Cornell University

4. Dartmouth University

5. Harvard University

6. The University of Pennsylvania

7. Princeton University

8. Yale University

9. Brown University

The Importance of Arts and Humanities

These subjects urge people to think outside the box. Also, at times to value culture, knowledge and human experiences about early life. The exploration of these studies helps expand our thinking and aids one in thinking critically, analytically and creatively. Certain Humanities subjects help us in learning aspects of other cultures such as language, lifestyle, etc.

Resources: Schwarz, Daniel R. "Why Study the Arts and the Humanities?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 June 2017.

Stanford, Humanities At. "Why do the humanities matter?" Stanford Humanities. N.p., 03 June 2015. Web. 16 June 2017.