Humanities Questions & Answers Question & Answer

1. Why is the study of humanities a general education requirement?
The study of humanities is a general education requirement because it provides students with fundamental knowledge and wisdom regarding the human condition. Engaging with the humanities, which encompasses philosophy, literature, music, art, history, and language, provides individuals with glimpses into the rich interior and exterior landscape of the human experience. By interacting with these disciplines, one gains knowledge of humanity’s ongoing evolution which engenders a sense of connection with all who have come before and all who stand among us now. Humanities is a general education requirement because it helps students grasp the world’s complex dynamics. It provides opportunities for practicing critical and analytical thinking and improving upon one’s skills of written and oral communication. The humanities reveal the interconnectedness of all knowledge, provide an opportunity to experience other cultures throughout the world, and help to deepen an individual’s understanding and sensitivity towards other societies, cultures, and traditions with which they were not originally familiar. Humanities instills an appreciation for creativity and provides a venue in which it is safe to explore one’s thoughts, reflections, and perspectives in light of philosophers and great thinkers who have come before us.
2. What area of the humanities do you find most compelling and why?
The area of humanities that I find most compelling is its exploration of the arts and forms of human creative expression. As a practicing artist, I am drawn to journeys through historical art periods and movements which reflected the presiding philosophies, beliefs, and ideals of a people at a given time in history. Above all, art and other forms of creative expression such as music, dance, and theatre reveal the raw emotions and feelings maintained by the human collective during a transformational period of our shared history. The arts reveal much about what was held to be valuable, meaningful, and important, and what was discarded as being mere folly or simply inconsequential. It provides insight into the human psyche and soul, exposing learners to the chronology of biopsychosocial shifts that transpired from one generation and era to the next. Art and creativity are the highest forms of the soul’s authentic expression as it approaches the divine, often catalyzing radical action and revolutionary social change. This realm of humanities fascinates and inspires me to actualize my full potential.
3. What time period in the humanities do you find most compelling and why?
The time period of the humanities that I find to be most compelling is the Renaissance. The Renaissance represented a vast rebirth, renewal, and reawakening of the human spirit. Remarkable human ideals and achievements during this time were revered and revived. People were forced to challenge and confront ideals and beliefs that had been in place for centuries and forge their own path. Many were inspired to master multiple crafts, rather than stay confined to one vocation. These “renaissance” women and men commanded skills in many areas, including language, philosophy, science, art, history, religion, medicine, and invention. I am particularly drawn to the works of masters such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo, whose canons shattered the barriers around human consciousness and caused intellectual and creative expansion on a massive scale.
4. What value does the study of the humanities have on your own life and why?
Studying the humanities has a profound and significant impact on my life and socialization process. By engaging with knowledge, wisdom, and creativity in a host of disciplines, I gain culture, class, and awareness of the innate structures that govern and direct human consciousness. I learn my place in the world, and I discover my own potential for making a lasting contribution to humanity’s epic evolution. As a byproduct, I gain invaluable skills in the way of critical and analytical thinking, logical reasoning, and intelligent inquiry. Humanities helps me to make sense of the world, to understand it through the eyes of many different cultures, and to appreciate it with refined reverence and respect. Humanities provides me with sound ethical and moral judgment, and the tools and instruments necessary to make informed decisions that guide the course of my life. Ultimately, the value of the humanities rests in its ability to impart the wisdom of the past and translate it into something that is applicable to the present and the future.