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We Don T Need More Humanities Majors By Edward Conard

805 Words4 Pages

Today, in the era of big data, machinery, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), it is common to hear that liberal arts degrees and humanities majors are, well, comparatively worthless. Edward Conard, the author of the essay "We don't need more humanities majors", stands by this idea and argues that individuals with degrees in the STEM fields contribute far more to the economy and society than those who major and get degrees in the humanities/liberal arts field. This is actually not the case. Humanities help us understand people through their histories, cultures, and language with majors having an emphasis on languages, literature, music, art, and philosophy. Without humanities, we would not have been able to progress …show more content…

But that growth is constrained in two ways. It is constrained by the amount of properly trained talent, which is needed to produce innovation. And it is constrained by this talent's willingness to take the entrepreneurial risks critical to commercializing innovation" and then goes on saying that "it is hard to believe humanities degree programs are the best way to train America's most talented students" (469-471). The reality is, humanities sheds a light on the huge influence science has had, and does have on shaping society and the quality of people's lives, both negatively and positively (Dalbert, 2011). To excel in the STEM world, we must understand the impact that STEM and medicine has had on society and understand the future scientific needs. Tracking patterns and learning the history behind things such as different machines, diseases, and concepts from the past allows us to advance studies, farther our understandings, and could potentially unlock answers for questions we have in the STEM world. Not only does humanities provide perspective, it rewards individuals with the skills required for self-teaching, self-critical reflection, and adaptability (Strauss, 2012). These functions are essential in order to be an independent learner, thereby continuing to extend and expand one's scientific knowledge and ability to teach throughout their professional career. Humanities also helps inform us of the needs of society and provide important considerations for scientists to learn from and appreciate, including things such as considering whether he or she chooses what projects to undertake and be a part of or what to work on (Dalbert,

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