Humanities

     The humanities can be described as “the study of how people process and document the human experience... Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history, and language to understand and record our world. ” (Stanford Humanities Center, Web). The term “humanities” has been used in English since the late 1400s to designate a “class of studies concerned with human culture”... (from the Latin literae humaniores). They are believed to have been called so because they were branches of study intended to “humanize or refine by their influence, and also as a distinction of human topics as opposed to divine ones” (Online Etymology Dictionary, Web). A broad spectrum of disciplines, the humanities subjects have a lot of interconnectivity and tend to enhance each other; immersion in this type of education yields extremely versatile and well-rounded thinkers.

     As a student who decided to pursue a college degree later in life, my background as a professional musician and lifelong avid reader naturally led me toward the arts, as opposed to the sciences. Why not, I reasoned, capitalize on my strengths and preferences which already had decades of reinforcement? I considered majoring in music, but only briefly... that seemed redundant after having spent many years of my life in a “real world” music conservatory of private study, rehearsals, and performances. I then realized that I was already a liberal arts devotee and that a BLS program such as the one offered by UNCG was a perfect match, particularly with the opportunity to accomplish it all online. It has been one of the best decisions of my adult life. While I have always been of such a bent intellectually, now I feel a part of a community of like-minded people. 

      I decided to take both core courses for BLS (300 and 301) in my first semester at UNCG, and feel that they were excellent in their orientation of students into the humanities. World creation myths, readings in the various disciplines (art, music, dance, literature, history, philosophy), and an in-depth study of Dicken's Hard Times; all this plus two other half-semester courses (BLS 364/”Mystics in America” and BLS 382/ “The Sixties”)... this was a challenging course load to dive into. My head was swimming with new ideas however when I emerged, and my ending result of a 4.0 GPA filled me with pride and the confidence that I would continue to do well. So far this has been the case.

     One of my favorite activities as a college student is participation in the various discussion boards. It is so satisfyingly ironic to me that in an actual face-to-face classroom, I would tend to be a quieter student; but as a “virtual” contributor to the forum I have no such inhibitions. Not only do I learn from other students' viewpoints, but the act of composing responses helps me solidify my own concepts. When the course instructors contribute as well (most do), and help guide the flow with thoughtful leading questions, it is not only an equal experience to the live classroom‒ I believe it is actually better.

     The most amazing aspect of a liberal arts education for me is how all the various disciplines interconnect. Even though I know that's a big part of the whole teaching philosophy, some of the new relationships forming within my synapses have taken me by surprise. An era in history spawns a particular political movement or cultural revolution; philosophers analyze and theorize and expound their theories of why thus has occurred and how we should think about it; writers compose essays, poems, or novels that reflect these ideas; painters, musicians, dramatists, photographers, etc. do their own takes‒ and it's not just sequentially or in any given order. Any and all of these components can influence a movement and interact with the others, transforming as they progress. And so I find myself discussing Dadaism in a European History class, or Jim Morrison in a literature course; just two of many examples where one starts connecting dots that are not even on the same geometric plane.

     Here is an example from my own life that I think mirrors the depth of a liberal arts mindset. I happen to have a great admiration for The Beatles, the iconic musical group. So do millions of people; their music was appealing, well-crafted and expertly recorded, and those reasons alone are enough for most. However, they can be appreciated in a multitude of other less direct ways: There is a sociological theory that the assassination of JFK and a mourning America set the stage for their wild popularity; that they came to the U.S. at just the right time. The song I Am the Walrus comes from The Walrus and the Carpenter (Lewis Carroll was a major influence on John Lennon). The fact that their hometown of Liverpool, England was a port gave them an advantage in early access to the imported music that influenced them. And on and on I could go; citing cultural and historical phenomena that influenced them and vice versa... from TM (transcendental meditation) to LSD, primal scream therapy to performance art.

     Finally, having been a musician most of my life, I know the theory behind their songs, and I can play them myself on guitar, bass, or in some cases piano. So, who has the deeper appreciation of The Beatles‒ myself, or someone who merely likes some of their songs? A casual fan listens to their music. But what if you were to also read their biographies, history, and criticism? And then cross-referenced all the interesting items you discovered there? The humanities promote all these deeper connections, and put more meaning in our lives.

Works Cited

“Humanities”. Online Etymology Dictionary. Etymonline.com, 2015. Web. 01 Nov. 2015

What Are the Humanities? Stanford Humanities Center. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2015