Some low theory built on a meme

 


During the last weeks I have seen this meme to an increased degree being shared. In many regards, I am very positive towards it core message: the humanities have values that we can not look past. Doing so would be denying the very essence of what makes humans. But still, something with it agitate me. And it took a couple of weeks of reflection to gain insight to why. After some careful thinking, I think i've nailed it: it is still bond upon the division between value producing sciences and the humanities. 


In Swedish discourse, the humanities often come under attack from the so called intellectuals from the conservative and liberal sectors. The key notion is often that studies in humanities renders students unemployed and that it is a luxury we can not afford. Efforts have been made to adress this understanding and studies from Lund University have showed that people with majors in humanities often get qualified positions post-graduation even though their work life is not often as clear as the road from an m.a in law -> practice at court -> working at a attorney -> passing the bar. Still humanities still fills a function on todays work market. 


What however is more depressing that many people do not conceive the actual values of the humanities. Since the Dawn of man, the field of humanities have made a huge impact on our everyday lives such as by political philosophy (creating democracy and testing on how it can be expanded), sociology (critizing everything from race discrimination to the prison industrial sector) and history (creating a general background to what happens when human rights are set a side. The intenvions made in the humanities do however not equal a direct link to economical value. Notions of democracy does not create economic value in the immediate way as new inventions in concrete or automobiles. Still there is a strong connection between a more free society, economic growth and prosperity for the individual.


I personally believe that our discourse on the values of science need to change. Another way to put forward the notion from dead poets society is this:

Medicine, law and engineering are all noble pursuits, necessary to sustain life. But poetry, art, romance, these are necessary to sustain society which makes life worth living.

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