Sense, emotion, and scientific discovery (Lewis Lapham, Lapham’s Quarterly)
How experience fosters discovery of all kinds, as well as a deeper reading of history and literature
14
04, 2017
28
03, 2017
Classical literacy and modern scholarship
Classical literacy and modern scholarship: how knowledge of Latin and Greek might deepen our current understanding of things, according to a German physicist; but the effort faces widespread difficulties: "No one learns Latin and Greek anymore, and therefore everything becomes superficial." This is the complaint of most learned journals, even though they themselves are simultaneously, and insensibly, [...]
26
03, 2017
Saving the humanities through history (Rens Bod, Chronicle of Higher Education)
How understanding the humanities' past illuminates their present and future importance, as they have discovered new findings critical to understanding our world.
22
03, 2017
“Philosophia vitae magistra”: philosophy is the teacher of life
"Philosophia vitae magistra": philosophy is the teacher of life Who is unaware that human life without the liberal arts is not only destitute and empty, but indeed far inferior and worse to that of many animals? When I then turn my attention to philosophy itself, how many times have I heard from you that it in [...]
19
03, 2017
The healing arts of writer and physician (Gavon Francis, Aeon)
The healing arts of writer and physician: how both treat the ailments and bolster the hopes of our humanity.
11
03, 2017
The Question of the Humanities
The Question of the Humanities: the editor of Humanities Watch weighs questions the humanities ask, and are asked, concerning their relation to the sciences, technology, and business interests. Text of the remarks can be found here.
7
03, 2017
On silence
On silence. Why poets, and others, look for quietude – with lovers, friends, or by themselves – in lieu of words Doodle: Good morning, Noodle. You appear deep in thought. Noodle: Thanks for the interruption. I’m puzzled by a poem. As a professor of the humanities, I’ve read a lot of poetry, and should be [...]
20
02, 2017
Humanities citizens and industrial consumers (Sarah Churchwell, Times Higher Education)
How the humanities may lead us to greater self-knowledge, beyond the demands of the market place.
15
02, 2017
The humanities at Davos (YaleNews)
The humanities at Davos: Yale's President Peter Salovey, a scholar of emotional intelligence, speaks at the World Economic Forum about the place of humanities. From the article: Speaking at the reception ... Salovey emphasized the ways that the humanities can promote understanding, such as how the study of languages can provide insights into a culture, reading literature can [...]
8
02, 2017
The lily and the river
The lily and the river: how much do we presume about our knowledge of the future, and how firmly rooted is our knowledge of our origins? Two fables from Renaissance scientists and polymaths: The lily set itself on the bank of the river Ticino, and the current swept away both the bank and the lily. Leonardo da [...]