The Humanities: An Overview

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Humanism and 'The Humanities'

Humanism is broad as a field of study. Humanism is essentially a collection of ethical philosophies that have sprung as early as the Renaissance in Europe, the 7th Century in the Islamic Middle East and in Asia, around 563 BC in India through the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the first Buddha), and around 551 BC in China during the time of Confucius. Humanism as a whole is aimed at using rationality in determining right & wrong; it also looks to ensure the dignity of man by seeking truth & morality through a human framework while avoiding transcendental explanations even if the arguments presented have a metaphysical connotation. A humanist endorses universally accepted sense of morality, the right & the good; belief without reason is always questioned although claims sometimes are accepted via a well supported debate (i.e. Confucian philosophy). We refer to the collection of disciplines that seek to study the human condition via analytical & speculative means (not empirical) as the 'Humanities'. These include literature, art, languages, early science and music. In the Middle Ages, areas of study that are 'man-centered' and not 'God-centered' is referred to as part of 'Humanities'. Therefore, even mathematics and the early sciences were 'lumped' into the 'Humanities Cabinet' of knowledge. Today of course, Humanities has completely separated from the sciences which itself is has divided into two 'main' designations - 'social sciences' and 'natural sciences'.

To differentiate itself from scientific studies, humanists follow a non-scientific approach (that is, it does not take on the scientific mode of inquiry where the goal is to proof or disprove hypothesis and put together theories about reality). In the humanities, experts critically interpret a work of art, text, documents or traditions (like dances) within a historical and cultural context. In written texts for example, humanists critically analyze a material by putting it side by side with other sources to validate and relate materials presented. Because subjects in ...