The Decline of the Humanities and the Decline of Society

Bibliographic Data

ID10830487
AuthorsIbanga B Ikpe (0009-0000-2736-2085)
Year2015
Volume62
Issue142
Publication date2015-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTHEORIA An International Journal for Theory History and Foundations of Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0495-4548 • E-ISSN: 2171-679X
PublisherBerghahn Books (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3167/th.2015.6214203
OpenAlexW2341462479
LanguageEN
Citations received4

The debate as to whether the humanities is in decline is almost over. Statistics on declining enrolments, shrinking job prospects, dwindling funding and growing condescension from society add up to show that all is not well. Humanities scholars have, in the recent past, tried to discover what is wrong as well as do something to demonstrate that the humanities is still relevant to society. In this regard, many have suggested that the humanities should change to accommodate the needs of the marketplace, while others have argued that to do so will change the humanities so drastically as to render it unrecognizable. This article is about the current state of affairs in the humanities and the different views that have been expressed on it. It argues that rather than the humanities, it is actually society that is in decline, and as such changing the humanities to suit the needs of the marketplace would be a disservice to our long humanistic tradition. It acknowledges that humanities scholars need to engage more with society even as they continue in activities that have defined the humanities through the years and argues for humanities therapy as a way for the humanities to engage with a world that is increasingly enamoured with technê

Art · Digital humanities · Humanism · Humanities · Medical humanities · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Community Development and Social Impact · Law · Medicine · University Challenges and Reforms

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