In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle defines reason as that aspect of the soul that exists in humans and not in animals. Reason can understand and know, and it is this understanding and knowledge that has been the pursuit of the Humanities since the days of Plato. Out of this tradition almost every other university discipline has grown. Even those disciplines that did not arise from what was then simply called “Philosophy” have all been significantly affected by its development.

It is surprising, then, to see a university student (Matthew Senft, in Mars’ Hill Dec. 07, 2005) claim that the very purpose of a university is to promote only the practical disciplines, rather than continue to engage in the exploration of the foundations from which these disciplines have come. This is tantamount to a denial of reason that says we must stop thinking so much and focus on doing. To this end, Matthew offers up some “reasons” (if the term can even be appropriately used in this context) for his dismissal of the Humanities.

Right after stating that the ratio of business majors to philosophy majors is 442/9, Senft pontificates: “the Humanities department exists only to support the Professional Studies programs on this campus.” It appears Senft must also discount Math as a serious pursuit, since (1) there are less Math majors than Philosophy majors, and (2) there would have to be some serious errors in addition (or some serious book-cooking) in order to make our 9 measly Philosophy major tuitions significantly support the Business department (they probably aren’t even enough to support our own). Obviously, he cannot mean the Humanities economically support the other Professional Studies, yet it’s hard to imagine another sense in which these disciplines of “little practical use” could contribute to “support” the others.

We are then asked to believe that the Humanities are of no use because a professor has made a facetious (but ostensibly semi-serious) dismissal of the Professional Studies faculty. Bad news, Matthew: professors are sinful human beings and occasionally say really stupid things. Sadly, sin and pride are not restricted to any one discipline (or group of disciplines), so I’m afraid ejecting the Humanities won’t solve that problem.

As a final tour de farce, Senft tries to educate us about how only the Professional Studies can possibly fulfill the Great Commission. His “reason” (again, stepping carefully here) for this is that “the vast majority of people are brought to Christ through their friends.” (He does not provide support or reference for this statement, but then that would be too academic, and not of much “practical use.”) Senft declares that only by confronting people with the reality of Christ’s presence through one’s witness (and apparently only in a friendship context) is that people can be led to Christ. Needless to say, this severely affects the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit. Apparently conversions that come about through the hearing of the preached Word or the reading of Scripture are ineffectual. Might Mr. Senft be leveling his guns at the Divinities next, and discarding doctrine along with reason?

It’s time to tone down the pride a bit, on all sides of this argument. Professional Studies are important because we are to engage in the marketplaces of life and be witnesses to those around us. It’s essential to recognize, however, that one of these marketplaces is academia (surprise, surprise)! The effect one can have on one’s coworkers, acquaintances, friends, and students in academia is no less powerful than it is between a plumber and those whom he interacts with. Unless, of course, Senft plans to convince us that only those in the Professional Studies can make friends, a proposition I would find hard to believe since his article just dismissed a quarter of the faculty and students on this campus as irrelevant—hardly a way to make friends, Matt.

On the other hand, the Humanities bring tremendous value to all disciplines, including the Professional Studies (Business Ethics comes to mind as an example). The Humanities are involved with producing effective communication (e.g. English), understanding the human personality (e.g. Psychology), exploring valid and effective methods and subjects of discourse and argumentation (e.g. Philosophy), acknowledging and engaging issues in our society (e.g. Sociology), and remembering the lessons of the past (e.g. History), all of which are incredibly powerful tools for spreading the Gospel.

To deny these tools and pursuits is to deny our rational foundations for understanding the world and discussing any aspect of it, evangelistic or not. And while misology (the denial of reason) might be interesting (as Senft would say, “kind of like a third nipple”), it’s a position that basically denies what distinguishes us from animals: our ability to think, to understand, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2)