Why Major in Humanities? Not Just for a Good Job – For a Good Life

As individuals compete for high-paying jobs, many parents and educators question the value of a humanities degree. Professors in the humanities defend the degree for teaching skills in analysis, writing and logic and serving as a launch pad to practical degrees in medicine, law or business. In an essay for the Washington Post, Mark Edmundson contends that the humanities – including the study of philosophy, English or history – are about testing the meaning of success and other social values rather than pursuing goals without awareness: “That’s what’s at the heart of the humanities – informed, thoughtful dialogue about the way we ought to conduct life.” Edmundson expresses pride in his students who cultivate values and explore them in life, in endeavors ranging from working as activists to joining the military. “[O]ur job as humanists isn’t to second whatever values happen to be in place in society,” he writes. “We’re here to question those values and maybe –using the best that has been thought and said – offer alternatives.” – YaleGlobal