Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature and language, as opposed to the study of religion or the concept of "divinity". The study of the humanities was a key part of the secular curriculum in universities at the time. Today, the humanities are more frequently defined as any fields of study outside of natural sciences, social sciences, formal sciences (like mathematics), and applied sciences (or professional training). They use methods that are primarily critical, speculative, or interpretative and have a significant historical element—as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of science."Humanity" 2.b, Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. (2003).
The humanities include the academic study of philosophy, religion, history, language arts (literature, writing, oratory, rhetoric, poetry, etc.), the performing arts (theater, music, dance, etc.), and the visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography, filmmaking, etc.).
The word humanities comes from the Renaissance Latin phrase , which translates to study of humanity. The was a course of study comprising grammar, literature, rhetoric, history, and moral philosophy, primarily drawn from the study of Latin and Greek classics. The related Latin word humanitas inspired the Renaissance Italian neologism umanisti, or "humanists", which referred to scholars dedicated to these fields and were instrumental in reviving classical learning, a hallmark of "Renaissance humanism.""humanism". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 11 Apr. 2012. ."Humanist", Oxford English Dictionary. . (The term humanist can also describe the philosophical position of humanism, which antihumanist scholars in the humanities reject.)
Historically, the humanities have been distinguished from the social sciences by their methods and objectives. While both fields study human behavior and culture, the humanities adopt an idiographic approach (focusing on the unique and context-specific), emphasizing critical, interpretative, and speculative methods, often with an emphasis on historical context and subjective meaning. In contrast, the social sciences employ a nomothetic approach (seeking general laws and patterns) through empirical and quantitative analysis, a distinction first conceptualized by philosopher Wilhelm Windelband. This methodological distinction, however, is not absolute. Although sociology, anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and psychology are commonly classified as social sciences, these fields include scholars who employ qualitative methods closely related to those employed by humanities scholars, such as narrative inquiry, textual analysis, or historical methods.
The humanities have also been justified as fostering self-reflection, civic responsibility, and cultural continuity. Though debates persist about the practical utility of the humanities, proponents argue that their unique focus on meaning, creativity, and critical inquiry contributes both to individual enrichment and the public sphere.
Fields Classics
Classics, in the Western academic tradition, refers to the studies of the cultures of classical antiquity, namely Ancient Greek and Latin and the Ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Classical studies are considered one of the cornerstones of the humanities; however, their popularity declined during the 20th century. Nevertheless, the influence of classical ideas on many humanities disciplines, such as philosophy and literature, remains strong.
History
History is systematically collected information about the past. When used as the name of a field of study, history refers to the study and interpretation of the record of humans, societies, institutions, and any topic that has changed over time.
Traditionally, the study of history has been considered a part of the humanities. In modern academia, history can occasionally be classified as a social science, though this definition is contested.
Language
While the scientific study of language is known as linguistics and is generally considered a social science, a natural science or a cognitive science,Thagard, Paul, Cognitive Science , The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). the study of languages is also central to the humanities. A good deal of twentieth- and twenty-first-century philosophy has been devoted to the analysis of language and to the question of whether, as Wittgenstein claimed, many of our philosophical confusions derive from the vocabulary we use; literary theory has explored the rhetorical, associative, and ordering features of language; and historical linguists have studied the development of languages across time. Literature, covering a variety of uses of language including prose forms (such as the novel), poetry and drama, also lies at the heart of the modern humanities curriculum. College-level programs in a foreign language usually include the study of important works of literature in that language, as well as the language itself.
Law In everyday language, law refers to a rule that is enforced by a governing institution, as opposed to a moral or ethical rule that is not subject to formal enforcement. The study of law can be seen as either a social science or a humanities discipline, depending on one's perspective. Some see it as a social science because of its objective and measurable nature, while others view it as a humanities discipline because of its focus on values and interpretation. Law is not always enforceable, especially in the context of international relations. Law has been defined in various ways, such as "a system of rules", "an interpretive concept" for achieving justice, "an authority" to mediate between people's interests, or "the command of a sovereign" backed by the threat of punishment.
However one likes to think of law, it is a completely central social institution. The practical application of ideas from many social science and humanities disciplines, including philosophy, history, political science, economics, anthropology, and sociology, shapes legal policy. Law is politics, because politicians create it. Law is philosophy, because moral and ethical persuasions shape their ideas. Law tells many of history's stories, because statutes, case law, and codifications build up over time. Law is also economics, because any rule about contract, tort, property law, labour law, company law, and many more can have long-lasting effects on how productivity is organised and the distribution of wealth. The noun law derives from the Old English word lagu, meaning something laid down or fixed, and the adjective legal comes from the Latin word LEX.
Literature
Literature is a term that does not have a universally accepted definition, but which has variably included all written work; writing that possesses literary merit; and language that emphasizes its own literary features, as opposed to ordinary language. Etymologically the term derives from the Latin word literatura/litteratura which means "writing formed with letters", although some definitions include spoken or sung texts. Literature can be classified as fiction or non-fiction; poetry or prose. It can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story, or drama. Works are often categorised according to historical periods or to their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).
Philosophy
Philosophy—etymologically, the "love of wisdom"—is generally the study of problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, justification, truth, justice, right and wrong, beauty, validity, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these issues by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned argument, rather than on experiments (with experimental philosophy as an exception).Thomas Nagel (1987). What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford University Press, pp. 4–5.
Philosophy used to be a very broad term, encompassing what have since become separate disciplines, such as physics. (As Immanuel Kant noted, "Ancient Greek philosophy was divided into three sciences: physics, ethics, and logic.")Kant, Immanuel (1785). Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, the first line. Today, the main fields of philosophy are logic, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. Still, it overlaps with other disciplines. The field of semantics, for example, brings philosophy into contact with linguistics.
Since the early twentieth century, philosophy in English-speaking universities has moved away from the humanities and closer to the formal sciences, becoming much more analytic. Analytic philosophy is marked by emphasis on the use of logic and formal methods of reasoning, conceptual analysis, and the use of symbolic and/or mathematical logic, as contrasted with the Continental style of philosophy.See, e.g., Brian Leiter "'Analytic' philosophy today names a style of doing philosophy, not a philosophical program or a set of substantive views. Analytic philosophers, crudely speaking, aim for argumentative clarity and precision; draw freely on the tools of logic; and often identify, professionally and intellectually, more closely with the sciences and mathematics than with the humanities." This method of inquiry is largely indebted to the work of philosophers such as Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Religion
Based on current knowledge, it seems that all known cultures, both in the past and present, have some form of belief system or religious practice. While there may be isolated individuals or groups who do not practice any religion, it is unknown whether there has ever been a society entirely devoid of religious belief. The definition of religion is not universal, and different cultures may have different ideas about what constitutes religion. Religion may be characterized with a community since humans are social animals. Rituals are used to bound the community together. Social animals require rules. Ethics is a requirement of society, but not a requirement of religion. Shinto, Daoism, and other folk or natural religions do not have ethical codes. While some religions do include the concept of deities, others do not. Therefore, the supernatural does not necessarily require the existence of deities. Rather, it can be broadly defined as any phenomenon that cannot be explained by science or reason. Magical thinking creates explanations not available for empirical verification. Stories or myths are narratives being both didactic and entertaining. They are necessary for understanding the human predicament. Some other possible characteristics of religion are pollutions and purification, the sacred and the profane, sacred texts, religious institutions and organizations, and sacrifice and prayer. Some of the major problems that religions confront, and attempts to answer, are chaos, suffering, evil, and death.
The non-founder religions are Hinduism, Shinto, and native or folk religions. Founder religions are Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Daoism, Mormonism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and the Baháʼí Faith. Religions must adapt over generations to remain relevant to their adherents. When traditional religions fail to address new concerns, then new religions will emerge.
Performing arts
The performing arts differ from the visual arts in that the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium. The latter uses materials such as clay, metal, or paint, which can be molded or transformed to create a work of art. Performing arts include acrobatics, comedy, dance, magic, music, opera, juggling, marching arts, such as brass bands, and theatre.