I believe the humanities represent the side of humans that cannot always be broken into perfect facts or numerical operations in the way that physical, social, and natural sciences are. I do not believe there is a right or wrong way to approach the humanities, as they depict an abstraction of the human mind and existence. I gain this perspective from During’s mention of Giambattista Vico. During writes, “the humanities are usually concerned not with what is natural or divine but with what the human species has created” (2). This interpretation by Vico distinguishes the difference between the humanities and STEM fields, which primarily seek to understand the “natural” or pre-existing. To me, the humanities are culture, relationships, interactions, storytelling, thoughts, art, creation, and more. They are complex and interdisciplinary.
During focuses on the historical context of the humanities, citing the civil implications/expectations of liberal education. During pens, “We can consider the humanities to be an ‘inherited archive,’” (7). I enjoy this metaphor because it shifted part of my thinking about the humanities. I never dove into the meaning and definitions of the humanities; I never considered the contingent historical context associated with the subject. Depicting it as an “archive” to relay the fluctuations of “lost and found” history (During 7) gave me a clearer understanding of the history of the humanities. As a whole, it may never be pieced together in a perfect mosaic, and I have come to accept that.
Harris details the act of rewriting, calling it a “project” of reworking an author’s text to highlight one’s own understanding (25). During’s text explores how the practice and study of the humanities have shifted and evolved to fit the historical context it needed to fulfill. Particularly looking at the role of European universities in the early-modern period (During 6), and literary and artistic extensions and enhancements in the recent past (5-6). He stresses the importance of observing the ways the humanities have lost their significant meaning and place in our modern society. During cites, “there exist other possibilities which don’t know themselves as ‘the humanities,’ even inside the global academy itself” (8). Here, During emphasizes the changing definitions of humanities, and (trying to find) their purpose, morphing to fit our modern ways of thinking. During’s ‘project’, as defined by Harris, aims to reinvent the humanities (or what we define them as) to fit modern ideals and reasoning. He considers the global history to review the various cultures’ perspectives on the study of humanities over time, furthering the discussion between tradition and modernity.
Word Count: 425
Works Cited
During, Simon. “What Were the Humanities, Anyway?” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 13 8 2020, https://www-chronicle-com.une.idm.oclc.org/article/what-were-the-humanities-anyway. Accessed 2 9 2025.
Harris, Joseph. Rewriting: How To Do Things With Texts. Utah State University Press, 2006. pp. 1-35.
