*I don't necessarily agree with the author.
I have really mixed feelings about this article. As someone who has had an extensively "blended" education in the sciences and the humanities I have found value to studying both. As an undergraduate studying the history of science (while also conducting scientific research in primatology) I found that my history courses and research were exceptionally useful. They helped me realize that there were intellectual traditions and that cultural thought itself evolves over time (and science is not immune to this). I became a better writer because of the humanities. I was also forced to read more history books and articles and sharpened my critical thinking skills in history. I became politically aware at a deeper level because of the humanities. I actually became a better scientist because of the humanities. I think the main problem is with the way academia is structured. We create the division of science and the humanities. Whatever you study, whether it be physics, biology, anthropology, philosophy, history, etc. you are an academic, learning a highly technical skill and language. I feel as though all academic fields are mutually supportive and helpful to understanding the universe. I think within our current structure we often forget this and tend to privilege the disciplines that happen to produce the most immediate economic benefit. But if we all just abandon the humanities because it is hard to get a job out of it that is directly relevant, we will lose the important social critics and great philosophical thinkers that could exist in the 21st century. I feel like the best solution to this is to ignore the boundaries set up by university. If you are just starting university, don't look at the academic silos to direct your career. Think about what you love. Would you like to learn about atoms? Would you like to learn about human evolution? Would you also like to learn about Ancient Egypt? Then take first year physics, anthropology, and history. What does it matter that these things are lumped into different broadly relevant categories? Learning about atoms does not mean that you can't learn about Ancient Egypt and vice versa. In fact, I even recommend majoring in two subjects that traditionally do not seem complementary. I feel as though if you have a diverse, non-traditional academic background you have an advantage. You can put ideas together that have never gone together before. You can do research and have a perspective that is novel and useful. Humanities should not be relegated simply to private study. It is important that we have places that foster an interest in the human past and human thinking. We need people to study this and contribute to a deeper and richer knowledge of what it means to be human. EDIT: It is also important to note that many of our most important professionals have backgrounds in the humanities: lawyers, politicians, teachers, and anybody that works in the private or public sectors related to international relations/politics/business, etc.
I agree. University education is often considered to be 'job training', and that is a misguided view. Typically, very little of what you learn during an undergraduate degree is specifically applied to the job that you get. This is not because education is lacking, but because most expertise in a job comes from learning terms of art, tricks of the trade, and other skills that vary greatly from one sector to another. Of course, you could get a degree in hotel management, however, that is more limiting than a general management-type degree. Generally two years of solid coursework can bring a competent student up to speed for an entry level position in most industries. After that, applicable skills can mostly only be acquired in practice. Graduate school was designed for the careers where extensive knowledge was required, and this typically involved careers where the student sought to extend the boundaries of the body of knowledge in that discipline, or sometimes when the practice requires extensive knowledge, like in law or medicine. In truth, a four-year education has plenty of wiggle room. The humanities provide invaluable context for how we live, and how we might choose to live. STEM education provides the 'how', but the humanities give us the ability to intelligently confront the 'why's. Most any education can be accomplished individually (although a degree might not follow), however, ideas that aren't reflected upon or challenged by others often have more flaws than those that are.
Amen, man. This is exactly my outlook. As part of my engineering degree we have to take up electives in both the humanities and sciences. Most people in my course plan on doing the minimum, and even then sticking to the apparently "easiest" courses. Doing this misses the point of university, in my opinion. I'm still struggling to comprehend the amount of knowledge that is at my disposal here and I really don't want to waste the opportunities. Basically I want to do as many electives as I think I can fit in. Quite frankly I can't believe I get to take electives. So awesome.
Fantastic point. I would love to see the humanities and sciences working closely together in the future. For example, every physics major should have to also take courses in the philosophy that has emerged from physics. You may understand the math that explains quantum entanglement, but what does this phenomenon tell us about our universe? What does this mean for the individual? What future research could be conducted? What experiments explored? And every evolutionary biology major (for example) should also have to take courses in the history of biology. What did biologists think about biological change over time before Darwin and Wallace? What concepts were proposed in the 19th century that stood the test of time? What concepts were discarded and why? etc. And if you are like me and interested in the evolution of humans, how doesn't a deep knowledge of the history of civilization aid in your understanding of human evolution? Is it possible that we could understand the development of civilization within an evolutionary context? Certainly I have found that informative. Definitely keep on taking those electives. It can only be a productive and intelligent decision.