An Obituary For The Humanities?
I read books. Lots of books. I know; many of you think I need a life, and that may or not be true! I’m still working on it. That said, I am reading, and have written, that a growing number of high school and college students do NOT read books…ANY books…AT ALL! I cannot tell you how much that saddens me. However, these kids aren’t unique. The decline in full-length reading is well documented and cuts across all age groups, but it is especially problematic at our high-end educational institutions nationwide. That is not a complaint; rather, it is the starting point for any honest conversation about what is happening to the humanities and social sciences and the observation which Sam Kahn builds on in his powerful piece in Persuasion . Kahn lays out the damage so that even a dope like me can understand. Some examples of the sadness: The University of Syracuse recently shuttered 93 academic programs, many classics courses among them. Hampshire College...