Preview

Defining Humanities

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
299 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Defining Humanities
Norfolk State University

Defining the Humanities

Submitted by: Julian Hicks

August 28, 2011

Humanities 210-07

Mr. Gerald E. Thompson, Instructor

Humanities is the study of language, philosophy, communication, environment, history, religion, sociology, arts, culture, education and ethics. The word humanities originally comes from the Latin word, “humanus.” The word humanus means “human.” To be “human” is to possess the qualities and attributes of man. Being human also has the feelings and dispositions proper to man.
However, humanities as the study of the different cultural aspects analyzes man’s weaknesses in life and how each can be improved. Culture includes speech, knowledge, beliefs, arts, technologies, ideals, and rules. To be cultured means to be refined and well versed in arts, philosophy, and the languages. It is also to be learned about great men and leaders in the past. Culture should regulate the type of behavior considered appropriate to an individual. Its teaching is essential for one to obtain the proper knowledge in his efforts to achieve the status of being a cultured man.
On the other hand, understanding man and his affairs rather than just a body of accepted facts and theories is a purpose for humanities. It has various meanings in different historical periods, but it is only the same. This sums up to remind everyone about humanity. Humanities dealt with philosophy and theology in the 12th, 13th centuries and Renaissance period. This was the study of disciplines among languages, fine arts, music, and philosophy.
Recognizing literature defined humanities in the past. There were different types of performing arts such as music, dance, theatre, philosophy, and religion. Humanities supported various categories of literature. Each and every one of these types were study academically.in the early centuries. Humanities is still an ongoing study of today and the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Northrop Frye states, “A society like ours does not have very much interest in literacy” (3), and maybe he’s right, but does that mean our society is unable to think? I strongly disagree with that assumption and it is an assumption because he has no facts to prove it, but I have facts to prove why he is wrong. Frye says that people need to learn humanities, so they can know how to think. People, who have developed better verbal skills than others, do not have very many job opportunities according to Frye. Also, just because someone has improper wording on paper, does not mean that is how he thought about it in his brain/mind. Lastly, thinking is in your personal mind, you don’t have to put it into words out loud, some people might think through images. Everyone is able to think, it’s under their personal control, and it is not something to be taught.…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Looking from my viewpoint, growing up in a world where not so long ago, we hung out on the front porch instead of chat rooms, I would have to say I see just what Nicholas Kristof and Jaweed Kaleem are talking about in both their articles. I see the differences between when we were not drowning in information while starving for wisdom. (Kristof 15)And when we use to have deep physical relationships and now more data and screen to screen relationships. Now don't get me wrong, I believe it is room for both and a need for both. However, the more with pull away from humanity the less human we become. The humanities will keep us from losing the part of us that makes us human. The study of the humanities will keep us asking the questions about…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humanities teaches students how to critically think, which is an important skill for inside the classroom and outside of it. Personally, I relate to this because while saving up for a large purchase, I had to consider many things; the cost, how much I needed to work, when I needed it by and how much I needed to save each paycheck. I believe that doing critical thinking helped me make the right decision that I will not regret in the future. Fernald states that “the crisis is not with the humanities. The crisis is with the failure to value them enough” (3). This shows that the issue is not with the subject itself but how people take the class, as people can take what they learn for granted. People aren’t valuing the lessons they learn in humanities. In The Crisis in the Humanities and the Corporate Attack on the University by P. Winston Fettner, he states that “without critical thinking, historical knowledge, and rhetorical skill, we are incapable of the sort of reasoned decisions that are the foundation of genuine democratic life,” (5) That this quote is conveying that critical thinking, historical knowledge, and rhetoric are…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humanists of Medieval times were philosophers that believed in the importance of poetry, writing and forms of art. Humanists aimed to spread eloquence fluidity among the citizens, to create a society full of knowledge and unity through introducing the people to literature, writing and art.…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The renaissance and it’s humanistic principles took form in different ways across Europe. In the Italian states, for example, humanism permeated art, resulting is some of mans greatest works which reflect the artists appreciation of the individual and focus away from god. In northern Europe however, humanists didn’t turn away from god, they instead worked to reform the church and allow for humanistic principles to transfuse religion. The translations of the bible, Erasmus’s writings and protestants rejection of the catholic church’s domination civil society are examples of how humanism infused religion and resulted in the formation of several denominations of Christianity, many of which are still practiced.…

    • 636 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    First I will give a brief definition of Humanism. Humanism is a form of education that became popular during the Italian renaissance. Humanistic learning entailed an education similar to that of classical Roman or Greek education. It also included the rebuff of medieval scholarship, or scholasticism. Petrarch, thought to be the inventor of renaissance Humanism, believed that one's knowledge of classical past should be purely used for one's personal and private sastisfaction. Many Humanists disagreed and used their skills to help their city-state, or to answer current questions. Humanists many of whom were inspired by classical literature took a positive view of human nature, Medievalists on the other hand looked down on human nature and its sinful ways. This difference in beliefs allowed humanists to possess interests in the natural world which encouraged Humanist creativity.…

    • 591 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    * Study of human kind, perspective of all people & all times * Full understanding of what it means “to be human”…

    • 3940 Words
    • 113 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The term Humanism is a more modern word and was not used to describe the studies in that time. The term "humanism" was coined in 1808 by a German educator, F. J. Niethammer, to describe a program of study distinct from science and engineering. According to Paul Roebuck, BA philosophy, MA anthropology, PhD geography, “”humanism" begins in the twelfth century in the institution of studia humanitatis, or "the studies of human things"” in the newly formed universities. Then In the fifteenth century, the term "umanista," or "humanist," was current and described a professional group of teachers who taught the studia humanitatis. These "human studies" included grammar (which included both history and literacy studies), logic, rhetoric, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music. The humanistic nature that the renaissance is known is due to the fact that a focus of the human nature. This was a shift from the preexisting focus on the divine and supernatural focus of the world that was the medieval…

    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Correct Use of Terminology

    • 3536 Words
    • 15 Pages

    The term culture can be described as, “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly…

    • 3536 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    humanities terms

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ostracism- a method of temporary banishment by popular vote without trial or special accusation practiced in ancient Greece…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Barbarian to Humanist

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Humanism can be defined as the cultural intellectual way of thinking that focuses on human beings exposing themselves to their own potential. This way of thinking emerged during the time of the Renaissance. It was the new movement to broaden an individual's narrow seeking mind. Scholasticism was the scholarship that went on in monasteries where the tradition was the study and focus on only theological issues. Before humanism rose, scholasticism was the only type of higher education. Scholasticism consisted of memorizing texts and focusing on obscure questions. Humanists criticized and completely rejected this form of living. The humanist’s core value can be summond up in one description by Leonardo DaVinci, “Luomo Universale”,the universal man is interested in everything, not one thing.…

    • 1370 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humanism brought back medieval civilization. People strove to learn about human nature through the intense study of Latin classics. It was the…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humanism in the Renaissance cultivated great intellectual movement. It paved the way for countless educated and artistic endeavors that hadn’t been seen since the fall of Rome in the fifth century. The movement towards having ones free will and path of knowledge, rather than having the church dictate the correct path in life; as well as showing the capabilities of man. Humanism puts more…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Humanities consist of humans and their ways of life starting from prehistoric to current cultural events. When one learns from past generations or civilizations one is better able to make wise decisions for the future. According to Georgia Humanities Council (2009-2013), “The humanities are stories passed from generation to generation to transmit culture. These stories are also known as our history, literature, laws, ethics, religion, philosophy, anthropology etc” (Why the Humanities Matter). This paper will be a discussion of humanities and give an insight of what humanities means as it is defined by various sources. I have chosen a cultural event from my life in which I will elaborate on to inform the reader of its importance in my own life and the culture around me. I will also show how this expression of culture and its relevant to what I know about the humanities, art, style, genius, and culture of the time period it represents. Last to be discussed is how the chosen expression of culture compares with other forms from the same time period.…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “exists to spread humanists ideas and ideals, to cultivate the understanding and application of them, to defend them and their adherents from misrepresentation and discrimination,…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays