Re: Why are Humanities Courses Required For University Students?
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 3:08 pm
There is currently a strong push for STEM which I think makes people devalue humanities. However, they both are important for society. The best thing about STEM is that it creates technology that can improve the world. But the reason why we want to improve the world is explored in humanities. Without enough of a focus on the humanities, society may use STEM unethically. Engineers are currently developing machines which will replace many jobs. Without regulation, justified through humanities, this is may be a catastrophe.
Also, people often don't recognize the significance of humanities in general. I cannot defend every humanities major, but many are necessary; we need politicians to manage the government, lawyers to defend the innocent and prosecute the guilty, economists to examine the societal impacts of issues such as minimum wage alterations, and historians to explain the causes for the current world order. While you can study some of these independently, studying them in a classroom ensures that you obtain the correct information. Humanities classes also often include discussion-based lessons which expose you to differing viewpoints.
People may agree with me there, but disagree with needing creative jobs. But people are not suited for every field. This applies broadly to STEM and humanities and to careers within these fields. For example, not everyone is suited to STEM, as it includes complex math which many struggle with. Similarly, people who struggle with reading, writing, and discussion-based environments aren't suited to humanities. People who pursue creative jobs may be best suited to those jobs, and the arts, such as music, art, and writing, provide society with happiness and have often changed the way we think. If the arts didn't exist as college classes, people may never realize their artistic passions, and society would lose those artists. And even if you think all STEM or certain humanities careers are far better than others, if someone would be far more successful in an artistic field, do you think it would be better for that person to obtain a low-paying job which will likely end from automation or to obtain an arts job?
Of course, STEM is extremely important. I will likely double major, or at least major and minor, in humanities and STEM, because there are aspects of both which I like and want to combine. I think we should view humanities and STEM as working together, not opposing each other.
Also, people often don't recognize the significance of humanities in general. I cannot defend every humanities major, but many are necessary; we need politicians to manage the government, lawyers to defend the innocent and prosecute the guilty, economists to examine the societal impacts of issues such as minimum wage alterations, and historians to explain the causes for the current world order. While you can study some of these independently, studying them in a classroom ensures that you obtain the correct information. Humanities classes also often include discussion-based lessons which expose you to differing viewpoints.
People may agree with me there, but disagree with needing creative jobs. But people are not suited for every field. This applies broadly to STEM and humanities and to careers within these fields. For example, not everyone is suited to STEM, as it includes complex math which many struggle with. Similarly, people who struggle with reading, writing, and discussion-based environments aren't suited to humanities. People who pursue creative jobs may be best suited to those jobs, and the arts, such as music, art, and writing, provide society with happiness and have often changed the way we think. If the arts didn't exist as college classes, people may never realize their artistic passions, and society would lose those artists. And even if you think all STEM or certain humanities careers are far better than others, if someone would be far more successful in an artistic field, do you think it would be better for that person to obtain a low-paying job which will likely end from automation or to obtain an arts job?
Of course, STEM is extremely important. I will likely double major, or at least major and minor, in humanities and STEM, because there are aspects of both which I like and want to combine. I think we should view humanities and STEM as working together, not opposing each other.