The study of the human condition, or humanities, is comprised of the three fundamental areas of history, literature, and philosophy. This course reflects both the discrete concerns of these basic disciplines and their intersections. Literature is studied as an expression of the human vice; philosophy as a way to study people’s struggle to understand themselves and others; writing as a tool for centering and focusing ideas; history and geography as the ‘story’ and place of human civilization. Those involved in the course (including the instructor) will actively participate in, explore, and express for themselves the why’s, how’s, who’s, and what’s of human experience.
Because humanists deal analytically with the most complex problems and issues affecting people, students of humanities are particularly well prepared for careers in all fields in which analysis, judgment, and argument are important. Thus a background in the humanities is advantageous not only for a career in a university or school, but also for careers in such fields as management, law, medicine, communications, diplomacy, social work and politics. In a changing world where the terms of employment and professional activity are no longer stable, it is crucial that students achieve not only knowledge, but also the skills of analysis and imagination that are fostered by humanistic inquiry and critical literacy.
Interdisciplinary courses in the humanities seek to improve the student’s understanding of the traditions of thought and art, of the relationships among the various subjects in the humanities, and of the importance of humanistic concerns to the daily lives of all thoughtful persons.- From the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Course Catalog
