I Teach the Humanities, and I Still Don’t Know What Their Value Is

[ThatOwlWoman]

She has a household that includes her ex husband and their child together with her current husband and their child together

Interesting. Polyamory is fairly uncommon.

 

[martin]

By Agnes Callard, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago

As a humanist — someone who reads, teaches and researches primarily philosophy but also, on the side, novels and poems and plays and movies — I am prepared to come out and admit that I do not know what the value of the humanities is. I do not know whether the study of the humanities promotes democracy or improves your moral character or enriches your leisure time or improves your critical thinking skills or increases your empathy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/opinion/education-humanities-college-value.html

A bold statement or hack admitting she has a good job and does not care anymore?

It may be only her depressed observation that the humanities too often fail to illuminate the minds of students she has been trying to teach, as when they fall head first into the ideologies of politics.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I think Into the Night is actually mentally ill.

Now troll me all you want, I don't look at the Settings anymore.

He is. My guess is paranoid schizophrenia. Just be happy you don't have to smell him.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Misogynist says wut now? Geeze. You're rather long in the tooth to be an Incel, aren't you? I guess you can be one at any age though.

Most misogynists are either incels if young or divorced if old. Afterall, what happily-married husband would constantly degrade women?

 

[evince]

Good thing you're insane then, isn't it?

Failsauce idiot


You are a foreign disinformation tool

Wether you are a human or a bot hole

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

Most misogynists are either incels if young or divorced if old. Afterall, what happily-married husband would constantly degrade women?

I doubt if Terry's wife or daughter or sister, if any exist, would have been proud of that demeaning and childish comment.

 

[Cypress]

Good point. My last college classes were in 1990 just as the Internet was catching hold. Professors and Universities who are still teaching like they were 30 years ago need to update themselves for the new century.

Having students in an elective introductory philosophy class reading Hegel and Kant like it's still 1870 is a surefire way to kill intro philosophy at the College level. Those 19th century Germans are notoriously dense to read in translation.

I heard a professor of East Asian studies say his class on Confucious always fills up, and even the Stoics, Marcus Aurelius, and Plato are better reads than the iconic German philosophers.

I think you could even have a class on the philosophy of Einstein, the classic Russian novelists, or the Zen masters and every chair would be filled.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

It may be only her depressed observation that the humanities too often fail to illuminate the minds of students she has been trying to teach, as when they fall head first into the ideologies of politics.

Even before politics got into it, the humanities and subjects like English lit, foreign language, fine arts, etc. were scoffed at by many college students as having nothing to do with either their major or with life beyond college. It *would* be depressing to have devoted your life to the teaching of a subject that doesn't get the same respect as science or math or even history.

 

[Cypress]

Even before politics got into it, the humanities and subjects like English lit, foreign language, fine arts, etc. were scoffed at by many college students as having nothing to do with either their major or with life beyond college. It *would* be depressing to have devoted your life to the teaching of a subject that doesn't get the same respect as science or math or even history.

My brother loved history, but I guess he felt some pressure to do something 'useful' and majored in chemical engineering.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I doubt if Terry's wife or daughter or sister, if any exist, would have been proud of that demeaning and childish comment.

Agreed.

In my experience, man or woman-haters are often the result of a relationship that ended badly for them and, like a pouty child, they are putting all the blame on someone else.

Although not common, I've seen it more in women than in men...except on JPP. Given the demographics of our forum, people like Terry, Freda and DtM are likely to be divorced and refuse to accept responsibility for their part in the failure of their marriage. They are going through life at 90MPH and only looking in the rearview mirror. Is it really any wonder their lives are a mess?

 

[Dutch Uncle]

My brother loved history, but I guess he felt some pressure to do something 'useful' and majored in chemical engineering.

It's pretty common in American culture to look at money as the measure of success. We are inundated from childhood to be consumers and the best consumers have the most money.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Having students in an elective introductory philosophy class reading Hegel and Kant like it's still 1870 is a surefire way to kill intro philosophy at the College level. Those 19th century Germans are notoriously dense to read in translation.

I heard a professor of East Asian studies say his class on Confucious always fills up, and even the Stoics, Marcus Aurelius, and Plato are better reads than the iconic German philosophers.

I think you could even have a class on the philosophy of Einstein, the classic Russian novelists, or the Zen masters and every chair would be filled.

That's what killed it for me. I went to a community college and enjoyed psychology and philosophy classes co-taught by both a psychology and a philosophy professor. Classes like "Man and Religion", "Man and Death", etc. I enjoyed the classes so much that I decided to major in philosophy when I switched to a four-year university. That lasted one class before I switched to psychology for the very reason you mentioned. The professor was dry as dust and he was the main guy teaching all the classes.

 

[Cypress]

It's pretty common in American culture to look at money as the measure of success. We are inundated from childhood to be consumers and the best consumers have the most money.

That's true.

But as much as FOX and MAGA complain about liberal arts, only a very small minority of students major in liberal arts, and I think it's been that way for decades.

MAGA has been trained like monkeys to complain about a 'problem' that doesn't really exist.

 

[Cypress]

That's what killed it for me. I went to a community college and enjoyed psychology and philosophy classes co-taught by both a psychology and a philosophy professor. Classes like "Man and Religion", "Man and Death", etc. I enjoyed the classes so much that I decided to major in philosophy when I switched to a four-year university. That lasted one class before I switched to psychology for the very reason you mentioned. The professor was dry as dust and he was the main guy teaching all the classes.

Yeah, it's guys like that, assigning dusty old copies of Kant to read in introductory philosophy classes, that is going to kill interest in philosophy.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

My brother loved history, but I guess he felt some pressure to do something 'useful' and majored in chemical engineering.

Does he like that career?

One of our brothers-in-law has a masters in history. He never did anything in that field. He has worked at various nonprofits and museums instead. He complains bitterly that he wanted to go into teaching, maybe at the h.s. or community level, but he couldn't get hired "because they're all liberals and won't hire a conservative." The fact that he wears his VERY RW political POV on his sleeve might have been an issue there, eh? lol

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

That's true.

But as much as FOX and MAGA complain about liberal arts, only a very small minority of students major in liberal arts, and I think it's been that way for decades.

MAGA has been trained like monkeys to complain about a 'problem' that doesn't really exist.

Because that's easier than looking at actual real problems and working with others to solve them. That might require that word anathema to Reichwingers: COMPROMISE.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Does he like that career?

One of our brothers-in-law has a masters in history. He never did anything in that field. He has worked at various nonprofits and museums instead. He complains bitterly that he wanted to go into teaching, maybe at the h.s. or community level, but he couldn't get hired "because they're all liberals and won't hire a conservative." The fact that he wears his VERY RW political POV on his sleeve might have been an issue there, eh? lol

Being "in your face" about one's politics often doesn't go over very well in most professions.

 

[BidenPresident]

Yeah, it's guys like that, assigning dusty old copies of Kant to read in introductory philosophy classes, that is going to kill interest in philosophy.

You never took a philosophy class.

 

[BidenPresident]

Having students in an elective introductory philosophy class reading Hegel and Kant like it's still 1870 is a surefire way to kill intro philosophy at the College level. Those 19th century Germans are notoriously dense to read in translation.

I heard a professor of East Asian studies say his class on Confucious always fills up, and even the Stoics, Marcus Aurelius, and Plato are better reads than the iconic German philosophers.

I think you could even have a class on the philosophy of Einstein, the classic Russian novelists, or the Zen masters and every chair would be filled.

Please do not talk about philosophy.

 

[Phyllis Diller]

Being "in your face" about one's politics often doesn't go over very well in most professions.

unless you're a dem. then it's fine.