Justification of Humanities Essay

The liberal arts get been studied since ancient Grecian multiplication as an academic discipline, examining human condition and including the arts, literature, philosophy, accounting and some social sciences. In 2008, nationally accept and respected literary theorist Stanley fish wrote a New York Times article in response to a New York State Commission on Higher Education report in which batch posted complaints that the liberal arts are always the close to be financially funded. Fish sums up his cable with an insulting conclusive statement To the question of what utilise are humanistic discipline? , the only honest wait on is none whatsoever.He backs up this vociferation by pointing out the lack of tangible indicate that is produced by humanities compared to science and new(prenominal) fields. I assert that Fish underestimates the force of the intangible benefits that the humanities have to offer. His overall argument against the value of humanities presents a point-o f-view that is extreme, reductive, and insulting to anyone associated with the humanities and the study of them. An education involving the study of humanities enables readers with skills that are applicable in understanding and comprehending contemporary media and literature.Literature, for that depicted object, set up sight chastely and possibly behaviorally and that effect, positive or negative, is of use. autobiography literature and historical texts also allow readers to nominate a bridge and connect with the last(prenominal) and its people. The media has suffer an inevitable part of our beau monde today and, unfortunately, media use of goods and services has as well. Public relations companies and the government have hidden agendas that the journalists blindly incorporate into their stories and columns. People are paid to accomplish the Ameri bottom of the inning general compass pictures and articles in a worthless, false way in order to sell a war or d experien ceplay a disaster.In 1996 John Rendon, the beginner of The Rendon Group, a public relations firm, admitted to U. S. Air push back cadets that the Gulf War in Iraq had been a titanic project for his company. He even talked about generating deceiving photographs expression back in history through with(predicate) other conflicts (i. e. , Vietnam, Iraq), or political issues or even stories of notable individuals, we prat observe legion(predicate) situations similar to what Rendon explained that supports a recurring complaint in our agriculture, whether provable or not, that the press will print stories without evidence if they make to a greater extent money in the process.Specifically, the media coverage afterward the 911 attacks were constant and foc apply on Osama bin sozzled as the mastermind behind the attacks and on Iraq having weapons of caboodle destruction as they were told by authorities. Pro-war sources were disproportionately focused on over anti-war sources wh ich helped build misguided public support for our war on terrorism and on Iraq. But we now know WMDs were not in existence there, but this shows the power of media stories, no matter whether based on fact, and its ability to influence society and the power it bed take away from us by eliminating fully-in melodyed decision-making.By being exposed to manipulating and deceiving narrators much(prenominal) as Lolitas Humbert Humbert and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher In the Rye, students gain experience in detecting this deceit or bias. Also, through involvement with this type of denotation and writing, the ability to sense when they are being propagandized or manipulated. An education that includes humanities provides tools for people to consciously go for from falling for the bias and hidden slander that is involved, oddly with politics.This awareness back end arrange better decision-making (voting especially) and meet a persons aspect very greatly. Exposure to humanities c an cause people to be less egocentric and can strengthen them with a point-of-view that will help them see through narrow-minded opinions and statements, like Fishs, and develop their own sound, fact-based and well-rounded opinions. Fish also comments in his article, What do they humanities do? They dont do anything, if by do is meant bring about effects in the world.This claim is resting upon the questionable understanding that the do is supposed to yield a tangible product, a constant misconception Fish seems to have. I am controversy that an effect on a person, positive or negative, implies that something was done to have caused that effect. Fish himself names many typesetters cases of literature put oning its readers he just chooses to deny them and remain skeptical. Countless examples have affected millions of people. Rachel Carsons Silent Spring is commonly credited for the raise of the environmental awareness movement.The Bible itself is a number of literature, and I a m sure that Stanley Fish cannot betoken that The Bible has not affected the world Dr. Seuss hold ups affect children and adults all over the world with their simple just effective messages through the creative rhyming. The Food and dose Administration was founded as a latter expiration to Sinclairs The Jungle, and I believe that this would be considered an example of doing something, even according to Fish. Books, and all forms of art, can cause people to reflect on the plot, the casings, or the honourable questions being pondered in the story.We can contemplate fiber attributes we appreciate or reject and watch scenarios extend in books that can be comparable to situations in our own lives. Fish believes it is not the business of the humanities to save us, but I do believe an education in humanities can help us save us from the castigate of ourselves by helping us become more well-rounded citizens with an understanding of the past so we can head effectively and productive ly into the future. I grant with Kronman who Fish quotes as saying a college was preceding(prenominal) all a place for the training of consultation.This completely supports an intelligent quote by Martin Luther pouf Jr. King said, Intelligence plus characterthat is the true goal of education. Without any humanities coordinated in a persons education, can this goal be fully achieved? The renowned Spanish-American litterateur George Santayana said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, and I cannot agree more with this claim. It highlights the importance of an education in history, another branch of the humanities discipline.Having a alliance and understanding with the past allows us to gain sagaciousness for the world today and learn from the mistakes made through history, so those mistakes are not repeated. For example, the very stern of Americas government was created through utilizing documentations of mixed governments implemented through history The founding fathers sifted through accounts of divergent governments and how successful they were and used them to form the Constitution.For example, they apply the system of checks and balances in order balance power among the braches and stray from the way that Britains monarchy was established. Books and the arts used to be mans sole form of entertainment and it is amazing to read the thoughts and see the creations of a person from so long ago tale literature, especially from the past, allows us to delve into the expectation of soulfulness from a different time, and that is something that no history book can teach.The readings assigned in humanities classes rotate students knowledge of life and ethics from a different time period and examines why this ethical mindset existed in the historical context. We reflect and compare the ethics of those in the past to our own, making connections with the past insofar also seeing the development of ethics and example behavior thr ough time. Teachings in humanities can be directly applied to the commercial culture that is present in our society today, especially with the deceitful and biased influences in the media.Literature has direct effects on us on an emotional, ethical and licit level and the connection that is made through books with the past is undoubtedly one of the most helpful insights of the past. Fishs argument was immature and was based only if on tangible products, a close-minded outdoor stage that overlooks the power of thought and the mind My contrasting opinion defends the impalpable and in that sense, suggests humanities can support to improving a reader personally and potentially benefit the future of society greatly.