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Slide 1:The Humanities
Brendan Rapple LIS413 June, 2003 Simmons College
Slide 2:What are the Humanities?
Those branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human beings and their culture. Distinguished in content and method from the physical and biological sciences and, somewhat less decisively, from the social sciences. The HUMANITIES include the study of all languages and literatures, the arts, history, and philosophy. Often placed in juxtaposition to more “practical” studies, which are designed primarily to help us make a living.
Slide 3:Word “Humanities” May be Misleading
Many aspects of science deal with “humans”, with “human matters”. Also, people speak of the social sciences “having humanistic content and employing humanistic methods” or of “humanities related social sciences.” However, many branches of knowledge and inquiry concerned with human matters (such as social and medical sciences) are not counted among the humanities. Boundaries of the Humanities are often very fuzzy.
Slide 4:Humanities and Science
No single world view in Humanities -- generally much more agreement in Science No universally accepted network of truths Humanities much more diverse than Science
Slide 5:No Real Linear Progress in the Humanities
Science, Medicine etc. clearly manifest progress. The same sense of progress does not exist in the Humanities. We probably do not really know “more” about Shakespeare’s works -- in the same way that we know more about, say, DNA -- than we knew 20 years ago.
Slide 6:Science is Cumulative
“Literature of science is cumulative in the sense that the important ideas and observations of the past are included in the current literature” (Urquhart). If all scientific literature over 30 years old were destroyed, vast majority would still exist in literature produced in recent years.
Slide 7: “If you were a scientist trying to discover the structure of DNA when Watson and Crick published their article on the double helix, there was nothing you could do but pick up your marbles and go home. The structure had been discovered; nothing more need be said; and scientists moved on from there. But if you are a music scholar preparing a monograph on Bach and a book on the composer comes out, you are of course interested, but you do not burn your manuscript. You know that no one (including yourself) will ever be able to say the last word about Bach and his music” Garfield
Slide 8:Many Different Layers
It is one thing to understand words in a text, it is another to understand them in relation to a time and its culture, e.g. Ancient Athenians on democracy. Ultimately the search leads to the life that stood behind the text.
Slide 9:Humanists study VALUE Scientists are concerned with: objective, empirically verifiable data experimental results that can be replicated by other scientists
Slide 10:Typical scientist is primarily interested in most recent research literature/materials. Typical humanist may be just as interested in far older material. This has serious implications for Libraries.
Slide 11:Unlike the sciences, the humanities do not “withdraw” older secondary materials. As soon as a critical work is no longer in fashion, it becomes valuable as a work to be used in the study of the history of the field. Also the humanities cannot summarize effectively earlier publications.
Slide 12:The scientist studies the structure of rainbows, not whether they are aesthetically beautiful. The psychiatrist studies how a brain functions, not whether one’s brain’s activities are morally good. Scientist studies technological aspects of printing, not how printing revolutionized the world in so many manifold ways.
Slide 13:Humanities Mostly the Work of Individuals
Though it is changing with computerization, humanists tend to work on their own. Unlike scientists, they engage in little team work.
Slide 14:Originality in Ph.D.
Difference between science and humanities.
Slide 15:Humanist usually focuses on less tangible, the less concrete. Humanist relies less on empiricism of the laboratory, and more on scholarly opinion. Humanist seldom deals with measurable, quantitative entities.
Slide 16:Importance of Citations in Humanities
Allow other scholars to retrace the process of discovery and to examine merit of the scholar’s writing. Citations similar in some respects to methodology section of a science report: permit the reader to gauge the scholarly worth of research results and to duplicate them.
Slide 17:Bibliographic Databases in Humanities
Not always of great use to humanities scholar. Humanities scholars often stress primary sources -- generally covered less well by bibliographic tools. Humanities databases routinely do not include abstracts. Humanities concepts and terminology less standardized than those of science -- less susceptible to effective management through a controlled vocabulary. Science databases often updated more frequently -- scientists require more current literature.
Slide 18:Humanities Rely Less on Recent Materials
Studies reveal that 70%-90% of citations in science are to materials fifteen years old or less. The figures for humanities citations are 40%-45%. “Having retrospective coverage may be more important to the humanist than having access to current material” (Sue Stone, 1982)
Slide 19:Humanists and Books
In most sciences 3%-10% of citations are to books, 90%-97% to journal articles. In humanities, however, 60%-75% are to books.
Slide 20:Humanists and Books
Humanists like books! They like being surrounded by them They often prefer original texts to copies Many need all editions, all drafts, all galley proofs The old book may be at least as important as the current book They want texts in the original language
Slide 21:How Do Humanities Scholars Identify Their Research Material?
From references in publications they read. From communicating with colleagues. From bibliographies. From librarians.
Slide 22:Information Gathering Strategies
Humanist places more importance on the library. Scientist often far more dependent on personal collection. ______________________________________ Humanist views browsing, serendipity as worthwhile (perhaps a necessity due to relative lack of organization of the materials in the field). Scientist is much more structured.
Slide 23:Centrality of the Library
Laboratory often central to the scientist. The “field” to the social scientist. But the library to humanists. The creative and performing artist are exceptions to the “library as center” rule of humanists.
Slide 24:Difficult for Librarians to Satisfy Humanists
Impossible to collect in so many languages. Libraries also greatly feel the pull between retrospective collecting and buying/subscribing to latest electronic materials.
Slide 25:Consultations with Librarians
Humanities scholars tend to use general reference librarians relatively little. However, opposite is true in archives and special (rare books, manuscript) libraries.
Slide 26:Humanists Work Alone
Humanist often works alone -- relatively few works are coauthored. Scientist works with colleagues, grad. students etc. in a lab. Social scientists spend much time with co-investigators planning and executing field work, surveys, and data analysis. The notion of the “invisible college” (very important to many scientists) is less meaningful for humanities scholars.
Slide 27:Other Humanist Characteristics
Humanities scholars tend to be reluctant to delegate bibliographic searching to others -- perhaps a lack of trust in others to conduct searches on their behalf. Humanists often believe that the search for information is important in itself -- “the journey is as important as the destination.”
Slide 28:Greater spread of individual titles used by humanities researchers. Almost inevitable that they will have to use libraries other than their own one. ILL won’t suffice for much primary material -- accordingly, they have to travel. Remember that many useful materials such as handbooks, encyclopedias, and popular journals are used by humanists, but are seldom cited in learned publications.
Slide 29:Barriers to Access
Lack of books and journals. Lengthy delay between request and receipt of materials. Loss of material (theft, mutilation etc.).
Slide 30:Humanities Reaching Further
The growing study of the masses and the common man creates needs for such materials as comic books, TV Guide, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, Wired, and Details. Some decades ago any study of Gladstone would have focused on his national and international politics with London as the base. Now his effect on regional and local affairs and society are considered as important.
Slide 31:Notion of Humanities Changing
Retreat from the canon. It is increasingly believed that virtually every symbolic creation must be considered equally worthy of study. Any publication or human creation can have research potential.
Slide 32:Humanistic Study is Broad
Humanist’s work is diffuse. Hard to focus on a narrow specific area. Subjectivism necessarily creeps in.
Slide 33:Johan Huizinga once spoke of history as a loving reconstruction by the moonlight of memory, work which can never have the clarity of work done by daylight vision. Humanist’s work often opaque.
Slide 34: Brief History of Humanities Study
Greek Paideia Roman Humanitas
Slide 35:Paideia
gymnastics grammar rhetoric music mathematics geography natural history philosophy
Slide 36:HUMANITAS
For Cicero, the primary function of education was the inculcation of HUMANITAS: The attributes of the individual whose particularly human capacities had been developed to their full potential, and who had therefore become HUMANISSIMUS. These capacities included the gifts of speech and reason, but also the social, moral, and aesthetic instincts that are peculiar to human beings.
Slide 37:CICERO
His ideal of HUMANITAS gives Cicero a right to be regarded as the father of classical humanism and by extension of HUMANITIES as an educational ideal.
Slide 38:Middle Ages
“Paideia” and “Humanitas” were adapted to a program of basic Christian education.
Slide 39:Middle Ages
Boethius Cassiodorus
Slide 40:Monastic Education Made Up of
Quadrivium: arithmetic geometry astronomy and music theory Trivium grammar logic rhetoric
Slide 41:Artes Liberales
Seven Liberal Arts Taught in the monasteries, cathedral schools, and, from the 12th century on, in the universities, they constituted the principal university instruction until modern times.
Slide 42:Liberal Arts
So called liberal (Lat. liber, free) because they serve to train the free man and develop her/his humanity. In contrast with the artes illiberales, which are pursued for economic purposes.
Slide 43:Renaissance
Umanisti: that is, professors or students of classical literature The word umanisti derives from the studia humanitatis, a course of classical studies that, in the early 15th century, consisted of grammar, poetry, rhetoric, history, and moral philosophy.
Slide 44:Renaissance Humanitas
Ideal of Humanism: Qualities associated with the modern word humanity--understanding, benevolence, compassion, mercy. But also such more active characteristics as fortitude, judgment, prudence, eloquence, and even love of honor.
Slide 45:Renaissance Humanism
Possessor of humanitas not just a sedentary and isolated philosopher or man of letters but also a participant in active life. Renaissance Humanitas called for a fine balance of action and contemplation.
Slide 46:Renaissance
The wellspring of humanitas was classical literature. For Renaissance humanists, there was nothing dated or outworn about the writings of Plato, Cicero, or Livy. Recovering the classics was to humanism tantamount to recovering reality.
Slide 47:Renaissance
An important distinction was that the Humanities were seen as opposite to Divinity. Humanists struggled against the dominance of dialectics and theologians who were entangled in abstruse speculations. Dissatisfied with Scholasticism. The Middle Ages were truly over.
Slide 48:Renaissance
The humanists were convinced that the study of literature (notably of the classics and their enormous source of wisdom and moral reflection) would encourage humane and civilized behavior.
Slide 49:In the sixteenth century this line of thought was continued (by Erasmus and Montaigne for example).
Slide 50:17th Century
The belief that the classics, the mainspring of Humanities, are an inexhaustible source of practical knowledge was increasingly subject to doubt.
Slide 51:Francis Bacon and Science
Mistrusted the humanist tool par excellence, the word. Advocated a more systematic and methodical way of thinking than the humanistic exegetists were used to. Was a great advocate of science.
Slide 52:Royal Society (1662)
"The Business and Design of the Royal Society is: to improve the knowledge of naturall things, and all usefull Arts, Manufactures, Mechanik practices, Engynes and Innovations by Experiments – not meddling with Divinity, Metaphysics, Moralls, Politicks, Grammar, Rhetorick or Logick."
Slide 53:Humanities versus Empiricism/Science
Essentially there was disagreement not only on which was the best method to gather true knowledge, but also on which approach resulted in the most useful knowledge to guide human action. To this day these problems play a role in the discussion on the legitimacy of the HUMANITIES.
Slide 54:18th C.
Humanities and the natural sciences as complementary rather than contradictory disciplines.
Slide 55:19th C.
The natural sciences gained momentum and prestige. Materialistic, utilitarian and biological views of reality gained ground under the influence of the natural sciences (and philosophical reflections on them).
Slide 56:The Forming of Nations
Now, the HUMANITIES constituted a great vehicle for the enthusiastic study and preservation of national cultures. This implied a change of course with respect to the classical HUMANITIES, which had focused on the universally human.
Slide 57:20th Century
The influence of “Leveling”on Humanities: The increasing numbers in education; The growing influence of mass culture (emancipation); Cultural pluralism; Change from a culture based primarily on texts to a culture based on images.
Slide 58:Classification of Disciplines
A long history Many classification schemes Question of a hierarchy of disciplines
Slide 59:Which are the Humanities?
A very practical problem for librarians and educators
Slide 60:University Disciplines/Depts.
Often a useful way to define disciplines. Each university has its own characteristic departmental organization, and consequent categorization of humanities. More traditional, conservative colleges often don’t teach newer humanities subjects.
Slide 61:Disciplinary Domain of the Humanities
English and American Studies Middle Eastern and African Studies East and South Asian Studies European Studies Cultural Studies Linguistics
Slide 62:Other Languages and Literatures Philosophy History and Philosophy of Science History of Ideas History Classics and Ancient History Archeology History of Art, Architecture and Design
Slide 63:Law Theology and Religious Studies Communication and Media Studies Music and History of Music Film Studies Drama and Theatre Studies Studies of other Performing Arts
Slide 64:Boundaries of Disciplines
Importance of the scholarship of integration, i.e. making connections across disciplines and placing specialties in broader contexts. Importance of doing research at the boundaries where fields converge.
Slide 65:Arts And Humanities VERSUS
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Slide 66:Generally differ in methodology: social and behavioral sciences tend to use methods that are borrowed from the natural sciences. Humanities disciplines generally have a longer history.
Slide 67:Traffic/Borrowing
The main direction of information flow is from Social Sciences to the Humanities. Social Sciences appear to have little inclination to import ideas from the Humanities.
Slide 68:Contemporary Info. Explosion
Slide 69:Specialization of Knowledge
Slide 70:Problems for Libraries
The inexorable specialization of scholarship means that universities and their libraries cannot maintain a coverage of all subject areas.
Slide 71:Emergence of New Disciplines
For Example: Aspects of computer studies Genetic engineering Women's studies Gay studies Environmental studies Multicultural studies Molecular biology Different approaches to literary studies
Slide 72:Seems to be Great Decline in
Synthesis of knowledge. General understanding of knowledge.
Slide 73: "The knowledge explosion left us ignorant of vast fields of knowledge that every educated man or woman ought to have known" Wayne C. Booth
Slide 74:Academic catalogs of major universities reveal great variety in the number and range of programs. Moreover, a perusal of the current periodical stacks of a large research library also points to a host of innovative and esoteric research areas.
Slide 75:New Models of Scholarly Communication
For the Humanities scholar just as much as for the Scientist
Slide 76:Nature of Scholarly Research will also Change
Slide 77:The Humanities Curriculum Today
Certainly changed since the 1960s Much discussion today of literary theory and the politics of multiculturalism
Slide 78:Changes
Inclusion of interdepartmental and interdisciplinary programs Globalization of the curriculum Proliferation of course offerings pertaining to minority populations, ethnic groups, women and gender-related issues.
Slide 79:What Skills (?) to be Learned By Studying the Humanities?
