Humanism and 'The Humanities'

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What is Humanism and 'The Humanities'?

On Humanism

Humanism, a broad area of study, 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 discipline 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).

On Humanities

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 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 present-day sciences (the discipline), the humanities follow a non-scientific approach (it does not apply the scientific mode of inquiry where the goal is to establish validated theories & scientific laws ). In the humanities, experts critically interpret a work of art, text (novels, poetry), documents (journals,memoirs) or traditions (rituals,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 humanities have a historical, philosophical, social and cultural context - it uses materials from other disciplines to 'critically study' a subject matter (i.e.philosophy, literature,the social sciences, history). The goal of humanities is to present details, to get to know the subject and expose the importance of the subject matter to society - its development and collective consciousness as well as identity by finding relations, roots and shared values through critical investigation (i.e. the study of shared ...