Why the humanities are irrelevant
December 9, 2005
Matthew Senft
The mission of Trinity Western is to “develop godly Christian leaders…who serve God and people in the various marketplaces of life.” In many a chapel or convocation service Dr. Snider and the leadership of this school have stood up and talked about the unique characteristics of this institution: we are a university and not a Bible college, and we stand apart from other schools by seeking to transform culture through our working professions. To this end, TWU has developed excellent programs in Business, Human Kinetics, Education, Chemistry, Pre-med and Psychology. Of the top five majors there are 442 students in Business, 275 in Education, 213 in Psychology, 151 in Communication and 147 in Human Kinetics (Mars’ Hill, Volume 9, Issue 10). Contrastingly, there are only a paltry nine philosophy majors, with only the Math and French majors having fewer students.
So let me propose something that you’d never hear in an IDIS class: the Humanities department exists only to support the Professional Studies programs on this campus. As a double major in International Studies and Business Administration, I see both sides of this argument. But as someone who doesn’t have my head in the ideological sand I can see the realities of the modern university. Spend more than one class with a Philosophy prof and you’ll be sure to hear some crack about why we shouldn’t even have a Business faculty, how “it doesn’t fit with the classical university,” how it doesn’t deal with the “higher things in life.” Well, they must be high on something to see themselves as the heart of this institution. Of course, it could explain why they are constantly self-promoting and need a mandatory class for all first year students to explain why they exist on campus. You see, the classical humanities are of little practical use; this university is all about the practical skills.
Academics have a relatively small impact on culture. They provide some nice colour commentary on the evening news, and maybe if they’re lucky, someone will read their work, become inspired, and make a movie (i.e. Fight Club). But beyond that they’re of no practical use. It’s kinda like a third nipple: funny to look at, somewhat interesting, but totally irrelevant. I think our mission statement has it right. If we are to fulfill the Great Commission it will happen by entering the professional fields. The vast majority of people are brought to Christ through their friends. If we as believers are not infiltrating the professional fields, we’ll never reach the majority of people within our society. It is only when people are confronted with the reality of His presence through the witness of their friends that they come to Christ. So why don’t we dump the Humanities and use those resources to put a couple more Christian plumbers in the marketplace?
Editor’s note: Is TWU going the way of the vocational school? Log on to marshillonline.com to join the discussion.
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21 Responses to “Why the humanities are irrelevant”
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Senft states, “this university is all about the practical skills.” Where does one get this idea? From all indications I think Trinity Western University is founded on the principle of Liberal Arts education.
So yes it may be true that many subjects end up mostly “support[ing] the Professional Studies programs.” Yet, does that require the elimination of other such areas because they are not useful to you or your program? In philosophy that is called the utilitarianism–but since in your perfect world philosophy would not exist, how would you know.
In this dream world there would be: no english, no history, no philosophy, no theology, no religious studies, no languages, etc. This is not a world I want to be part of. Broadening one’s intellect should not be feared, it should be embraced. Senft advocates academic heresy, which goes against all of which Trinity aspires to be.
When did the “various marketplaces of life” exclude the humanities? TWU’s purpose statement reads “Trinity Western seeks to cultivate total student development through increased knowledge and discernment, sharpened critical thinking, communication and leadership skill development, and deepened commitment to Jesus Christ and a Christian way of life.” It continues with “Trinity Western challenges its graduates to serve in a Christ-like manner where people live and work: homes, churches, schools, communities, the arts, sciences, human services, education at all levels, health care, recreation, and business.” This is an important qualification that a humanities student would be able to pick up on.
Is it more likely that the many will make the many better, or that a small group or even an indiviual may?
If Socrates was wrong, and the -real- motivation for mankind’s existence has, in fact, been to parachute into the existing culture in hot pursuit of material gain, then so much of human endeavor for the last two millennia has been for nought: from the Benedictine monks who preserved culture, to Napoleon’s men who brought the Enlightenment by force and revolution, to the global fight against Fascism.
So the barbarian hordes were right, after all?
Wait a minute. It seems that people do fight and die a great deal more for ideas than money. It seems that your very system of reasoning has been shaped and formed by your supposedly antiquated “third-nipple” academics.
Or perhaps shaping the future and governing the souls of millions is not a practical purpose.
If Socrates was right, this article is the stuff of arrogant historicism.
It’s like the joke where the guy tells God he is able to make human beings too. God says, “oh you think so, eh? I gotta see this.” So the guy’s like, “so, you take some dust - ” God interrupts saying, “where are you going to get the dust?”
Ok, so I suck at telling jokes. But the fact is, you can take away the humanities, but your marketing world will be left without a backbone. Business is based on theory. Theories come from philosophy. There need to be people in our world who do philosophy and theology and everything else that falls under the humanities umbrella.
“the Humanities department exists only to support the Professional Studies programs on this campus”
I don’t agree that the humanities department exists only to support the Professional Studies programs on this campus. That is too narrow. It exists to support all programs on this campus. This place wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for humanities. They are disciplines of service, serving our community and world.
Someone’s got to do humanities. Our world would be lost without them. Ask yourself a question, Matt: where do you find your meaning in life? Is it God? Then ask yourself another question: how did you come to realize this?
If it wasn’t for people in the humanities throughout history, there would be no organized church, no Bible, no creeds, and nothing to stand on (or for - ethics would be down the tube too). The early church (see RELS 361) quickly realized the need for this when heresies started creeping in and they didn’t have anything concrete (i.e. the Bible) to defend their beliefs with yet. Those people who solidified the canon of the very book you place so much faith in were people of theology (see RELS 160 & 477).
I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to go into business, because it just has no appeal to me. But that is how I was made - I just don’t have a mind for business. However, I know that there is a need for it and that our world would collapse without it. So, I encourage other people to do what they are called to do, and go into business. You are obviously a businessman. Do what God has called you to, and do it to God’s glory. I have a lot of respect for people who can do that and find joy in it. Just please don’t shoot down my calling on your way there by saying it is irrelevant, because it hurts when you do. I was made to do this too - along with a great number of people on this campus - staff, students, and faculty.
The biggest problem with this article is that it underestimates the influence of the humanities. Business is merely a handmaiden compared to Religious Studies and Philosophy. If we eliminate the abstract and creative thinking involved in the humanities I think we might produce the mindless Gospel spreading drones the author has in mind. Business may fuel our society but the humanities is the backbone. Without it there is no meaning in any business transaction we perform. When it comes down to it though, each discipline is important in it’s own right. Each gear working in unison to run our society. The humanities is just a bigger gear.
I’m still not convinced the humanities are relevant to this school.
While I’m sure there are many a good reason for studying philosophy, there are no benefits to me. Let me rephrase, there is nothing I need from a philosophy class that I don’t already receive in my business classes. The various professional programs on this campus take great pride in integrating ethical teaching into their curriculum. This is what sets Trinity apart from most secular institutions. On every course evaluation students are asked to rate the Christian integration of their profs. So, since the professional studies make up the vast majority of the student populace and since they already receive instruction in how ethics relates to their disciplines, why should we have an ethics class? A side interest? Academic fetish? That’s about as much purpose as I can see.
While the professional studies have benefited from thought development within the humanities, there is no reason these faculties can’t draw from sources outside this university. This university is small and therefore it should focus on its core components. Having a humanities department and in particular a philosophy department is a luxury we really shouldn’t be splurging on.
It seems to me that the writer’s response only further weakens his original argument. First, he points out that he is sure that there are “many a good reason for studying philosophy.” He then uses a subjective argument of the relevance and importance of the subject to him, personally. You avoided condemning the math department, even though there are the least math majors at this school. Why is that? Does math appeal to you, personally?
I think that the number of majors in a faculty does not determine the importance of that discipline. For example, the fact that there are many business majors does not mean that I think it is more important, relevant, or even the focus of this university. All are vocations blessed by God, and what better place to learn them than at a place like TWU, where Christianity is integrated into what we learn, speaking from a Christian point of view? In addition, you can’t possibly say that philosophy classes at TWU are simply ethics.
In a similar train of thought to Kelly’s comments, you are obviously a businessman, and one of many at this school. You are in the majority, but don’t use this as an excuse to shoot down the calling of others whose minds are not the same as yours.
Although I would agree that Trinity Western University is headed in the direction of a vocational school, there is so much more to an education here. Simply the community, the experience, the opportunity are examples. People have come to this university from all over the world to attend each discipline. I would be so cheeky as to say your proposed exclusion of these individuals is wrong.
What’s more, the university has sustained its smaller components of various humanities for a reason. I believe these reasons have been clearly outlined and argued in the other responses to this article. The fact that you are bitter about taking a philosophy class that was of no personal use to you does not warrant an attack of the humanities, of which it is vital to have Christians training in.
Lastly, I do not particularly find any intelligence or humour in sophomoric comments such as, “[the philosophy professors] must be high on something to see themselves as the heart of this institution.”
“why should we have an ethics class? A side interest? Academic fetish?”
This is dangerous, dangerous talk Matt. We need another business class like we need a third nipple, but we sorely need an ethics class like we need a heart…
I would argue the exact opposite of what you are saying Matt: the problem with Trinity is not that it makes one philosophy class compulsory, it is that it does not make two philosophy classes compulsory. The biggest danger facing Trinity today is logic such as yours; logic that says ‘lets cut off the courses that are not practical enough.’ This calculative attitude that holds utility as the highest virtue is exactly why we need more philosophy classes.
As Christians, utility is not our highest virtue. As such, philosophy is a “luxury” we can’t afford to lose. To attempt to undermine it on account of dollars and cents is sadly ironic. Thus, if as Christians we ever hope to hold our own intellectually in a society that holds the same doctrines of Matthew Senft, that is only keep what is relevant and practical, we must begin the steep climb back from being a vocational university up to becoming a university. A university where the Christian good, not utility, is held as the highest virtue and where philosophy is held as a foundational discipline.
It’s refreshing to see a response to an article such as this and to see people thinking, yet at the same time disheartening to see people use it as a way to insult through their language. The highest of these are references by some that one who is not a humanities major would not be able to comprehend their response. Is that response Christlike? Positively not; it is an instance of academic bigotry.
On the note of discrimination, it is worse to see those who do not receive a ‘classical’ university education as being called “…mindless Gospel spreading drones…” Jesus was trained as a carpenter (The same trade as joinery at BCIT). Yes he deliberated with elders in the church, but he did not receive his training in that. He studied the humanities on His own time and used his mind the way Matthew Senft has said that students in business classes do. Mindless gospel spreading drone? I’m embarassed to see that some students have used their higher education to make self-inflating claims of this nature.
The great commission tells Christians to go into the world and make disciples. This calling includes any profession, and if a philosophy major finds themselves working in a warehouse or driving a taxi, they can live out that calling the same way a business student can. Consequently if TWU was a vocational school, then the trades could be impacted by Christians. Matthew Senft did not attempt to insult the humanities, but only pointed out their irrelevance towards the mission of this institution. With 72 hours of available transfer credit, couldn’t a person just take the humanities somewhere else and take the Rels classes from Trinity? With construction sites not being known for the pinnacle of clean language, wouldn’t a Christian tradesman be able to do some good?
OK, OK, I got one. Two guys sitting in a Starbucks, one guy says: Hey, one of my friends is going into *business* in university! Other guy: Business! That shouldn’t be at a university, if they want that, go to a tech-school. University is supposed to give you virtue.
Well, I suck at jokes as well.
But this is a true story (I was one of the guys) and I thought of it when I read the article. And as a humanities student I am a bit disappointed in my non-utilitarian brethren that have commented here. First, a good comm student (who was not overtaken by a case of apathy) would be able to read matt’s original argument and see that it was written in a humourous and slightly irreverent tone — by the way, I was a commie. While you may not *get it* (I’ve never met an english major with a good sense of humour… except for sara), surely you must have seen it there.
Secondly, the edge that we get as humanities students is that we can continue to convince ourselves that we are better than him anyway. We just say, “See! Your article proves that you lack virtue!” and then go on with our days. But, alas, this just continues to prove his point.
Finally, I think this little exercise has shown us one thing, and that is Matt was writing as a reaction to the pervasive mockery that the business students and their department receive. While I disagree with him on some levels, I can still laugh at his rhetoric, and it causes me to rethink some of my own arrogance towards them.
Why Philosophy Is Relevant - In Response to Matthew Senft
On Behalf of the Humanities:
The mission of Trinity Western University is indeed to “develop godly Christian leaders…who serve God and people in the various marketplaces of life.” In order to fulfill our mission we, “the people of integrity”, must commit to one academic discipline among many if we have any chance of entering the professional fields. Upon reviewing TWU academic statistics, however, we find that such “excellent programs [such as] Business, Human Kinetics, Education, Chemistry, Pre-med and Psychology” are in higher demand among other disciplines (i.e. Philosophy). Why is this? Is it simply because academic disciplines in the Humanities have, in an “information age”, become irrelevant? If so, I don’t see how.
Rather than debating with Mr. Senft, I would like to highlight the practical benefits of pursuing one of the daughters of the Humanities; her first born, Philosophy. First, what is Philosophy? Philosophy braches into five fields, logic (the study of reasoning), value theory (ethics, politics, art), epistemology (the study of knowledge), metaphysics (the study of reality) and the history of philosophy (culture). Now what can one possibly receive from studying such an ‘abstract’ discipline, at least, practically? Let’s find out…
First, the critical thinking skills required for the study of philosophy are transferable to many professional fields; business, law, ministry, and yes such skills can even be transferable to “providing color commentary on the evening news”. For example, a recent study on GMAT scores revealed philosophy majors outperformed business majors by a margin of 15% on the GMAT and outperformed every other undergraduate major except mathematics. The very two academic disciplines with only a ‘paltry’ nine or less enrolled at TWU. Hmm…
Secondly, when we do infiltrate the “various marketplaces of life” we are accountable to be a witness of Truth and reflect Truth to others. Yet when faced with a co-worker’s skeptical questioning of our faith, how ought we respond? Defending your faith with proper reasoning (logic) and knowing what the criteria for a justified belief is (epistemology), one will have the practical ability for effectively communicating what it means to be a member of the community of faith. As Mr. Senft rightfully points out, “The vast majority of people are brought to Christ through their friends”. True, although friends aren’t so easily convinced of religious dogma, in this sense, a philosophical background may be advanced on practical grounds.
Thirdly, studying philosophy, ‘the love of wisdom’, expands your mind to ideologies, and concepts which creates a flexible perspective of the world which ultimately reaps a deeper social, mental, intellectual and spiritual maturity. Surely, these characteristics are requisite for professionals who not only must have the know-how but also the ‘know-who-I-am’ aspect in order to be successful in their chosen professional field. That is, a professional is a well-rounded individual which entails all components of being human –something the Humanities know a thing or two about. However, some may view this practical byproduct of philosophical training as mere “head in the ideological sand”.
Finally, I end by agreeing with Mr. Senft when he writes, “If we are to fulfill the Great Commission it will happen by entering the professional fields”. But why assume Philosophy, English, and Linguistics are not professional academic fields? Or as Mr. Senft asks, “Why don’t we dump the Humanities?” The answer, seems obvious: doing so would hinder the mission we all signed up for (the very mission Mr. Senft is a passionate advocate for). That is, by dumping the Humanities, an academic professional field (though not flourishing at TWU - something Mr. Senft rightfully point out), we severely reduce “the various marketplaces of life”. Dr. Norm Klassen, distinguished TWU English Professor, illuminates how a godly Christian leader is impacting his “marketplace” with his decision to continue his profession at St. Jerome’s University at Ontairo’s Univeristy of Waterloo. When he arrives, Dr. Klassen will be living proof that Christians not only serve but can think as well. That’s the mission fulfilled.
*GMAT statistic taken from site: http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/phillsat.html
O.K., I think I may be dating myself a bit here, but for those of you who don’t know, Rodney Dangerfield was a comedian who enjoyed a great deal of popularity in the late 70s and early 80s—actually, if you’ve ever seen the movie “Caddyshack,” you’ve seen Rodney. Well, the shtick that most people remember Dangerfield for is the “I get no respect” tag that he often slid in after the punch lines of his jokes. In a way, I think the humanities, like Dangerfield, often get no respect (and unlike Dangerfield, I’m not joking). Matthew Senft’s article in the December 7 Mars’ Hill is one such example. Sure, Senft may be attempting to be provocative with his polemic against the humanities, and against the classical humanities in particular. Maybe he’s just trying to stir the “political pot” here at TWU. Or perhaps he sees the recent highly publicized departure of one of TWU’s humanities pundits par excellence, Dr. Norm Klassen, as an opportunity to generate momentum for some underground anti-humanities agenda. Whatever the case may be, allow me to “disrespect” Senft’s argument, for it proves weak in places.
As an English major, by no means am I an expert in philosophy, but I have taken enough credits to know that Senft’s argument does not wash. Here is what I take Senft to be arguing:
(1) We need to convert the largest number of people that we can.
(2) The largest number of people is employed in non-academic fields.
(3) The largest number of conversions is initiated through workplace friendships, whether in non-academic fields or other.
C: Therefore, we should send the largest number of Christians into professional fields.
First, this argument fails because (3) is grossly subjective—the claim needs substantiation, a few numbers so to speak. Second, (3) does not follow from (2)—it is possible that the largest number of conversions could come as a result of workplace friendships within a smaller field; that is, professional fields could have a larger number of people, but may also have the least amount of workplace friendships leading to conversion. Senft simply has not given enough evidence for a strong argument, especially regarding the claim that most people receive Christ as a result of friendship with believers (although I grant that this may be the case, this claim requires substantiation in order to make the argument strong—otherwise it appears to be a subjective observation).
Finally, there is at least one irony in Senft’s subordination of the humanities to “professional” studies. The above critique of Senft’s argument could easily be imagined as taking place in the business world. With a little tweaking, one could visualize an argument of similar design taking place in corporate America (or Canada), as, say, a marketing specialist’s argument as to why product X should be discontinued in favour of product Y. The point I am simply making is that everyday, many business decisions are made according to the arguer’s ability to present not just the bare facts, but to interpret and present the facts in a logical manner. And of course this ability depends on one’s mastery of reasoning, logical principles, and perhaps rhetoric, which all have their roots in the humanities—philosophy to be exact. Thus, it is clear that some professional vocations are indebted to the humanities.
A defence of the humanities could be much longer, for sure. For sure, ethics has an important place in the world of business, and we at TWU should be especially concerned with what is ethical. Yet, I still feel that this is not the major bone that Senft is picking; the crux of his argument seems to be that careers in the humanities are useless, especially for sharing the gospel. This is again ironic, since the Bible is considered one of the great literary works of the Western Canon. And while one could argue that the Bible is “special” and different than other works because it is divine revelation (and it is), one must still wrestle with the fact that it is one of the greatest literary “creations” of humanity, that it possesses all the literary elements, devices and forms that are found in any great work of literature, and that we can deepen our understanding and appreciation of scripture by approaching it as we would approach other works (just ask some of the Religious Studies profs about the relation between poetic structure and meaning/interpretation with respect to the Psalms, for example). Furthermore, the humanities play a vital role in our understanding of scripture and church history. Through the humanities, we come to understand the intellectual, philosophical, and historical context in which the scriptures were written, and we gain a deeper insight into how scripture is reacting to, and influenced by, the cultural milieu of its time.
Just as tradition is important in the life of the Church, so tradition in the academy is foundational to our intellectual endeavours. It bears repeating that in learning we are indebted to tradition, and so we are indebted to the classical humanities. While it may seem that jettisoning the humanities is a novel idea, it really is tantamount to chopping off one of the hands that feeds our intellectual activities, if you will pardon my cliche.
The philosophical content that Matt currently enjoys in his business classes is entirely the result of the humanities being a subject that is taught at university.
Without the humanities, there would not be a shred of philosophy or religion in any of the “proffessional programs”, and students like me, a pre-med biology major, would come out of university quite simply an unprincipled, unethical, confused and disempowered wretch.
I would have little ability to communicate in public, defend my faith, or frankly have the tools to offer hope to people in a dying world.
No Thanks Matt…! Your world freaks me out.
The humanities have grown me, inspired me, envisioned me, and provided me with a valuable framework for living in the secular marketplace.
I thank God all the time for the awesome opportunity to study fascinating subjects such as languages, drama, famous literature, history, music, ethics, logic, etc… and then incorporate all that into my practice of medicine one day. Yay - that is a more exciting world!
i won’t attempt to top any of the stellar arguments in support of the humanities found above, but i thought i would share my experience as a chemistry grad from TWU.
i arrived here at TWU with a pathetically narrow worldview and idea of what vocational options were out there. i did good in high school chemistry, therefore, i was going to become a high school science teacher. simple. i couldn’t stand the guys in my dorm that would natter on and on with their little philosophical arguments that never seemed to arrive anywhere productive. i had my beliefs, i voted reform, i liked to play soccer, i was a christian and had a career path… did it need to go any further then that?
i would never have believed the transformation in my thinking and christian worldview in a few short years at a christian liberal arts university (sorry for the IDIS cliche). but by my 3rd and 4th year the science courses in my major were my least favorite… i was eating up my music history, philosophy and history courses that i had been putting off and that i was REQUIRED to take. what happened to me?
well, for one i discovered chemistry wasn’t my calling, teaching yes, science no (that just speaks to a personal revelation). but more importantly, i discovered the humanities. it’s all in the name, HUMAN-ities. everything to do with being human: human thought, history, creativity, beliefs, relationships, governments and on and on it goes. after spending the better part of 4 years in a lab and focusing on a just handful of chemicals in all of God’s huge creation, i felt like someone had suddenly opened a door to a whole new world, the world of my fellow human!
i can’t imagine having not been awakened to this ‘bigger picture’ of humanity. now i take this with me into the rest of my life, always questioning “how does this (or that) fit into God’s will for his creation?” humanities courses have taught me to ask the big questions. i could have gone off and learned how to make more money just about anywhere, but instead God lead me to a university that required me to take courses which taught me about my relationship and responsibilty to my fellow human.
I have both a BA in Business and English from TWU. For the sake of not repeating the arguments above, I will simply wonder if you really know what you are talking about, Matt. I challenge you to examine the academic histories of the CEOs, CFOs, and VPs (as well as politicians, lawyers, and virtually all professions), because I think you will find a large percentage of them have an undergraduate degree in the humanities. Paul Martin PM, Carly Fiorina CEO HP, Willam Clay Ford CEO FORD — history, medival history, and Arts students respectively.
Creativity, abstract thought, awareness of human psychology and history, and how to marry the two, etc — all are vital to a successful professional, especially at the highest levels. Law schools actually prefer applicants from the Humanities, because creativity and the ability to absorb different types of information and draw conclusions is critical to studying and practising law. You indicate that you learn everything you need to know from your business courses, apart from philosophy.
Please.
I’ve been there in those classes, everyone studying case histories like little clones looking to memorize how people think, feeling, react when there are no right answers. Unless you intend to be a number cruncher somewhere in the bowels of businessdom, you will need to interact with people which is exactly what the humanities are about: people interacting with people on all levels, where more often than not 2+2=5 not 4.
Beg pardon, but I like the humanities. I come under the Professional Studies department because I’m a linguistics major, but I see that as more of a humanities discipline, because it’s very much about people. Humanities are important. They are the soul to the body of science. And without the soul, the body is nothing. Science means very little without being interpreted through the lense of humanity.
Hold up on the criticism, I think Matt’s onto something. I’d even go so far as to question whether TWU needs a seminary. What pastors REALLY do is administration, so preferably they should be in financial management courses rather than psychology or biblical studies.
If some “seeker” comes to them with questions about the Da Vinci Code novel, and they don’t know anything about history or art, we can give the pastor (I prefer Church Efficiency Organizer, or CEO for short) a crash course on the Four Spiritual Laws (lists are far more efficient), which are useful in rebutting almost any questions those frightfully simple and naive atheists have. And when it comes time to educate our children and we don’t know the difference between Christians like noted spiritual entrepreneur Pat Robertson and that awful humanities scholar C.S. Lewis, that’s okay, we can just make sure that they know the essentials: the Prayer of Jabez (oh Lord, increase my portfolio) and the Left Behind series. Therapeutic Profit-Motivated Apocalypticism; I can’t wait to see the bumper stickers.
p.s. this is tongue-in-cheek, and I actually do believe there it is important for church leaders to have a healthy knowledge of finances.
Matt:
I am disapointed.
You are a business major and so you probably barely hacked your way through Peg Peters PHIL 210 class, and probably can’t tell the difference between Immanual Kant and Soren Keirkegaard but that doesn’t make you any better equipt to fulfill God’s plan for your life. I don’t expect you to understand why the grass is green or care if turns red with chemical poisioning but I do expect you to understand the impact of what you are claiming. To say that Trinity doesn’t need the humanities is to say that you don’t need your torso.
I also understand that you probably wrote this only to get a rise out of people, which you did. But you must understand that saying things like that is a poor business decision. I am a Business major (Financial planning and Economics) as well and I am disipointed to be associated with such an ignorant thinker as yourself. As was already stated, your very own value system is based on the humanities, the bread and butter or our world system is the humanities. I don’t care (and no one else does either) if you are a double major or a plummer, God has called each of us to different task and we must not for a moment think that any one discipline is better than another.
You are ingnorant and wrong, you should not have written such a poorly written and inadequately executed article. You have learned nothing from your education at TWU.
If I ever meet you in the business world I refuse as of now to ever do business with you.
TO THOSE NON-BUSINESS MAJORS: THE VIEWS OF MATT DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE TWU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND HE SHOULD IN NO WAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUSINESS DISCIPLINE.
What is it about this article that continues to draw people into dialogue? Interesting.
Dan, I agree with most of what you have to say about this article being ignorant to the foundations of a Christian Liberal Arts education. But I must comment that just as apparent as Matt having not learned anything from his time at TWU, is the fact that you seem to have learned nothing of grace and forgiveness. To never to business with someone because of some ignorant comments seems equally as ignorant. I know that if people stopped doing business every time I said something ignorant, by this point in my life I would have nobody doing business with me. I hope that you are being facetious my friend. Take care and keep up the dialogue people, it’s the best way to counter ignorance.
Hi Matt,
I realise you are a big person now, working for the Conservative Party, and you may never read this since it’s been so long. I just thought I’d respond one final time to this piece, which seems to be at first a brilliant tongue-in-cheek blow at the philosophy professors who no doubt *offended* you with their remarks about business students having no ethics/soul/favourite philosopher/musical talent.
Then you’ve still got me second guessing your real intention with your Dec. 12 response.
“The school is small and should focus on its core disciplines…Having a humanities department and in particular a philosophy department is a luxury we really shouldn’t be splurging on.”
In hindsight, two years after your article was published, you are right. The university is going into debt and is considering selling its LLC property as a last-ditch attempt. No doubt they will raise our student fees again this year by another whopping 6 percent.
And we won’t protest, because we’re good evangelicals who don’t like to stir contention.
But your argument still falls flat on its face because you decided to go after all the humanities, not just philosophy.
We have a flourishing drama department who deliver one stellar performance after another. 11:07 is full every time.
Our English Department professors and grad students meet with frequent critical acclaim, and we held an important inter-university conference last summer, attracting professors from places as prestigious as Oxford and Waterloo.
Our art department continues to blossom year after year, producing abstracts, portraits, landscapes, photography and music that inspires and evokes emotions in viewers and listeners.
And first years have the privilege of getting their “nihilist, bourgeois worldviews” shattered (and, for the most part, reconstructed as their soul is oriented towards the true, the good, and the beautiful. I think I’m plagiarising that from someone…)
And by and large, we’re all the better for it. The School might be scraping by on the donations of king Business grads, but at the same time, it’s being saved by getting phenomenal press from our outstanding successes from the Humanities.
So I hope you’re enjoying strolling the halls of Parliament, say hi to Steve Harper for me and remind him not to invest too heavily in non-renewable energies. But I know I speak not just for myself when I reaffirm that the humanities really couldn’t be more relevant for the university than now.
Matt,
You may never have to decide on the ethical merits of stem cell research or cloning, or on what a new school’s curriculum should look like, or desire to understand the people of another language and culture through reading their literature, so you can better communicate with them, or need to critique cultural trends which are influencing behavior in today’s society, or need to debate a moral issue in a public forum from a well researched and well thought out position, but if there are not some Christians able to take up these and other such challenges, then it will be a sorry world someday, and our university will be a very sorry place for not having prepared at least some of its alums to wage war on these fronts. In a nutshell, this is what studying the humanities is all about.
Studying the humanities is about seeking answers and personal as well as universal truths from stories. I’m glad to see so many Christians interested in that. I find Matt’s comments pretty sad and I feel sorry for him in that he has established faith in something without all the facts. However, I blame that on his religious background more than anything else. The only religious institution that I trust is my heart. Back in the old days I would’ve been called a witch and burned at the stake. Never underestimate what the Church knows and doesn’t want you to know. Is it fair to teach Matt that an outdated and extremely circumspect text (the bible) is the word of God and then expect him to know how to understand the importance of the humanities. In my view there is something rather oxymoronic and maybe just plain moronic about the term Christian University. I hope you are learning at TWU that the bible is considered a secular text in the school of humanities. It is given no more weight or credibility than Shakespeare as far as sacredness goes and I’m not being all that out of line ’cause let’s face it Shakespeare is considered pretty darn sacred to the majority of scholars and philosophers out there, as is Moliere and others who frequently criticized the Church and other large instituions or governments who used “the Creator” as their police force.
Nor is it seen as an accurate source for historical data. There is no real proof that any of the old testament was anything more than myth, however science and in particular physical science as well as mathematics teaches us a great deal about what those stories are all about. When you combine the book of Genesis with Quantum physics, in my opinion you don’t need faith, all you need is imagination. Einstein knew that and Jesus did too. Imagining and believing is what creates. Period. Now I don’t need the Pope and outdated dogma and Sunday school teachers telling me to be “nice” anymore because I have truth. And if you haven’t learned it yet you will, but nice is different than good. Personal truth is what being created is about and once you’ve found it, ther is nothing but heaven, everywhere you look.
I make that statement with confidence and rather arbitrarily because it’s what I’ve discovered so far on my path. If you found it offensive and dogmatic it’s probably not where you are and I would suggest finding another source for your truth. I don’t presume to think that my way is the right way for every other living person on the planet (what a snore that would be, bring a book, preferably “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene :)) and it certainly isn’t the only way, but it’s my way and from what i’ve learned if I follow it with integrity I will be rewarded. So, I encourage you “students of God” and disciples and missionaries to zip it for a while and try to just sit with yourselves and listen to what your heart tells you it wants. Think about the time that Jesus spent in Egypt and contemplate what he may or may not have learned there. And then if you’re really curious, you could actually study Egyptian Culture for a while. Learn about gypsies and witchcraft and goddess religions. Study Mary Magdalene without that giant chip on your shoulder. Try to figure out what Da Vinci and Michelangelo and Newton knew that we don’t. I encourage you to take a Shakespeare class, or a History of Judaism course and I encourage you to read “The Da Vinci Code” and the bible and Kipling and Sylvia Plath and Brian Greene and John Nash and Einstein’s essays and… And know that there are infinite possiblities in the universe as far as truth goes. “Those with ears to hear will hear.” Hopefully you’ll be one of them.
I’m not saying the Christian path is the wrong path for anyone, I’m just saying that in my experience I haven’t met a lot of believers in that faith who haven’t been told that it represents the only truth as far as God and creatiion go. I believed in Santa Claus for a long time, but after I started asking questions I was embarrassed that I ever had. I don’t want to see anyone get egg on their face or get molested by a Catholic priest or think that the Pope is truly infallible. In what I’ve experienced and read, thinking your way is the only way is one of the most ignorant and destructive forces on the planet. If you need an example of that just look at the Middle East. The Sunni’s, the Shiites, the Jews, the Kurds, the Christians, none of them will convince the others that their way is the only way because it’s not. It’s as simple as that. Everyone has their own path and the real courage in following your heart is that it might not agree with someone else’s heart. That’s all part of the game. The challenge is keeping peace through it all. The humanities teach us that.
Now from what I’ve observed the Jews and Muslims and Christians haven’t been able to achieve that based on their own merits and so I’m thinking Santa Claus might not really exist. We need to look deeper. Maybe try to understand the context of these faiths and belief systems. When were they born and what was their function sociologically, psychologically, ideologically, geologically, whatever. Pick an “ology” and go with it, but don’t blame Matt for doing what you haven’t done. Simply listen and observe and learn from him much like you would study a caveman. What does lack of evolution really ever give us?
I’ll tell you what I’ve learned from religious dogma. I’ve learned that you can pretty much control anyone with fear and shame. The Hebrew religion should not have survived based on sheer numbers and yet it was ingenius. By declaring themselves the chosen people and citing various occurences within the tribe as proof of that they had even their enemies (who way outnumbered them) curious. The more dreadful the circumstances the more they declared their resilience. Ingenius!! They had belief systems which came out of a scarcity mentality. Egyptians believed in abundance and we see the abundance they had in their day. Einstein’s theories and pretty much everything written in “The Secret” can explain it an entirely different way, which is actually based on quantum physics. Basically your beliefs create your reality….yada yada. Science and sociology frame the begininings of Christianity in a not so flattering light. As for Matt, he wrote that editorial in 2005 at the height of Bill O’Reilly and Republican propaganda and Right Wing Think Tank politics. Political and religious warfare against white American males without there knowing it. Business is important and so is corruption and war and keeping our families safe. Matt was raped by his unwillingness to think for himself. Perhaps he really thought that FOX News was fair and balanced. Ask yourselves how governments and religious instituions benefit from people who decline to think independantly or vote or even be remotely inquisitive. Corporations are the new Church and until we seperate that Church and State in this country the Matt’s of the world will continue to spread their truth. Scoffing at research and humanities courses is only the beginning.
He’ll use Christian dogma and morality to create a fascist society until they come for him and there’s no one else to speak up. Until then, Santa Claus is real for Matt and we need to get him back on track before he destroys all that he truly holds dear and doesn’t know it yet. Once you’ve studied Plato or Socrates or again, Shakespeare, or even WWII you’ll hopefully begin to see that the stories of the bible are still releveant today because these stories continue to repeat themselves over and over again.
But humans have hope that the clouds will lift and that’s why we have the humanities as the backbones of our educational institutions and that’s why we have a seperation of Church and State in this society. The founding fathers were readers and scholars and businessmen and lawyers and farmers and Christians and Pagans. They got it, and we’ve forgotten it and because they studied history and theology and music and Greek culture and yes the bible, they knew we’d forget and so we have a consitution in this country that very often works. It doesn’t need God or bombs or books to sustain it. It needs only the will of the people. The humanities keep our collective will intact and remind us of the power that comes from what we share. What we as individuals and institutions deem to be appropriate for ourselves and others will always change and become fragmented. What we truly are never does. Our collective truth: that’s the Holy Spirit.
Hope you enjoyed the lecture.
love,
Her Majesty