To the Anxious Humanities Scholar

Abstract

You are a humanities scholar and you are worried. You fear that the humanities are increasingly seen as irrelevant, unnecessary and quaint. You may even have begun to internalise this view. In the face of intractable contemporary problems – global pandemics, economic crisis and a climate emergency – how can your work seem like anything other than an indulgence? You hear the constant, ambient noise of public and political hostility aimed at what you do. In January 2020 the prime minister’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings (a humanities graduate, like the prime minister), wrote a long blog post calling for ‘weirdos and misfits with odd skills’ to apply for new jobs at No. 10 Downing Street. He made it clear that he was looking for data scientists, software developers, economists and policy experts, not ‘Oxbridge English graduates who chat about Lacan at dinner parties with TV producers’.11 Dominic Cummings, ‘Two Hands are a Lot’, at https://dominiccummings.com/2020/01/02/two-hands-are-a-lot-were-hiring-data-scientists-project-managers-policy-experts-assorted-weirdos/ (2 January 2020, accessed 1 May 2020). Later that month the University of Sunderland announced that it would be shutting down its history, languages and politics courses, and replacing them with more ‘career-focused and professions-facing’ alternatives. In February the University of Portsmouth revealed plans to make more than half its English department redundant, citing the declining number of applications in this subject. In June 2020 the Australian education minister, Dan Tehan, announced that his government wanted to double student fees for courses in the arts and humanities while cutting them for nursing, agriculture, maths, science and information technology. The aim was ‘to power our post-Covid economic recovery’ by sending out a ‘price signal’ to encourage people to study in areas of growth.22 ‘Job-Ready Graduates to Power Economic Recovery’, at https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/job-ready-graduates-power-economic-recovery (accessed 25 June 2020). The UK government made similar noises about pricing mechanisms and ending funding for humanities courses considered poor value for money. In August 2020 the A-level marking controversy, and the subsequent scramble for university places, inspired much media comment about the glut of worthless degrees in second-rate institutions, again focusing on humanities subjects. ‘The universities are churning out far more graduates than our society requires,’ wrote one columnist, ‘particularly in subjects like the creative arts and communications that have little relevance to the workplace.’33 Leo McKinstry, ‘We Must End This Absurd Obsession to Gain a Degree’, Daily Express, 20 August 2020. See also Emma Duncan, ‘Many Degrees are a Waste of Time and Money’, The Times, 15 August 2020. The current right-wing critique of universities as indoctrination camps where students are ‘factory-farmed to have the same boring and malevolent views’ has focused its ire on humanities subjects.44 Douglas Murray, ‘Our Universities Have Become Indoctrination Camps’, Sunday Telegraph, 16 August 2020. No wonder that, after reading these signs and portents, you feel beleaguered and dispirited. You crave some encouragement and cheer, and a reminder of why you first fell in love with the texts you spend your life examining. You need a story that will convince others, and yourself, of the worth of your work. You may take heart from the knowledge that, while this particular crisis is new, the issues are old. ‘The humanities are at the cross-roads, at a crisis in their existence,’ the historian J.H. Plumb wrote in the introduction to his Pelican edited collection, Crisis in the Humanities, in 1964. ‘They must either change the image that they present, adapt themselves to the needs of a society dominated by science and technology, or retreat into social triviality.’55 J.H. Plumb, ‘Introduction’, in Plumb (ed.), Crisis in the Humanities (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1964), 8. This permanent crisis of identity and legitimacy in the humanities arises partly out of definitional fuzziness. The humanities have often been defined against something else – and against which they can be found wanting. In the Renaissance the studia humanitatis were the secular subjects, such as rhetoric, philosophy and ancient Greek and Latin, and thus the opposite of the highest form of study, divinity. Then, from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the humanities began to be defined in opposition to the physical sciences. At first they were the senior partner. Charles Darwin’s frequent biblical and literary allusions, and the elegance of his own writing, show how influenced he was by the humanities. But in the century after Darwin’s death, the sciences grew in confidence and prestige. The main character in Saul Bellow’s 1987 novel More Die of Heartbreak, a Russian literature specialist, feels as if he has been confined to ‘the nursery games of humankind, which had to be left behind when the age of science began’. The humanities, he thinks gloomily, ‘would be called upon to choose a wallpaper for the crypt, as the end drew near’.66 Saul Bellow, More Die of Heartbreak (London: Penguin, [1987] 2004), 239. More recently, the humanities have come to seem like the poor relation of STEM. STEM is an acronym now routinely repurposed as both noun and adjective (STEM skills, STEM subjects, STEM jobs). We forget how new the acronym is and sometimes even what it stands for (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The OED gives its earliest mention in print as 1968 but notes that it is ‘rare before 21st cent.’ In fact it began to be used widely in the US in the late 1990s, in debates about skills shortages in high-tech jobs and access to work visas for immigrants skilled in these fields. In Britain it has become an article of faith among policy makers that investing in STEM is vital to economic growth, especially in areas like life sciences, pharmaceuticals, computer coding and electronic engineering. The embattled scholar of the humanities may be tempted to lash out defensively at this more glamorous sibling, STEM, who gets all the attention and In a and creative that ‘the humanities are The are The of is to the even if the the aim of science is to some in ‘The January from such We need a of the humanities that this of the sciences as and must with a that the humanities and sciences are of and of what the humanities is to how are not by but by as to make other the of STEM as an – of which is but all of which are a story about the The first is that are with other in a and are The is that the sciences and humanities are in a of if STEM is other subjects must be The is that a university is not of ‘the but a of students for that has value if it can be into something now on university courses value for with the main must be with on this of the university by the of a ‘the The was a of a of from the was that its main was for or The began as a it to to the in the of the century universities to be called University were increasingly to the of and began to be of in the the was to be one where behind ‘The The of a of and its for the of In the the as a as universities and more with the the when a of the a universities or university had a but in In Britain had the end of the with the of the the and the the number had to of The in the University In a that ‘the of universities to be and to their and more for were now for from the The for as a for before English and creative at the University of in that he in The is an more than a out that in his on he had had with on people from and people in some he ‘the university is a far more than The and on and The that universities need to students for a of which they are not is an of what the humanities the to make The humanities study the of and But their is this to make out of our study, in its – that with which all for has long considered the of the social sciences – that the economists in about how the In has been dominated by the story that are little of and This story has as a of the after the The was by the of which out to be that were themselves about how the The that the is in an a of such as and In the age of and other it be than that is a a for value than value a story – at faith in and how it is on the of The has with the of and of his that they were the of he were and not to a of or that and often become by their own in the like can and and and the and the of at (accessed of is – a of The humanities, the of which be to and of (London: The of the from our to these of made of and The for this is that these same become and other as are in their their of We their for are to make such even more – such as and – will to about where the and will more and more with and science will as and value as of the data are the about The humanities show how to these with and by out the it to be in a and is it to that can our as is economic and has it become an end in than a to an is work as a is the and why must to its a In a more than the has been a for in The of he that, if the were by our would have one of their the humanities. he from thus apply in the of who who have from of may be of of in which our would not be to them much they The of would these is the humanities, ‘the of and our and The of the of The humanities the how in that and from its and study in all its and for that to the into its – into into into it and them to science that the of the is a for it to the of is sometimes of – often by humanities for a of a is one that its into a But in is by from its which are as much of but not to that particular the of this more they clear it for that some can be down with it its own of the for the of an – the that will a with as little as not the humanities, is the of Bellow’s the humanities will be is especially about The and they may be But if looking for be number will you that what them is the for a of all and also to that the first of an is that it be and are the to the to to See Must be in (ed.), Must be of (London: You can that of from a the form like But more the texts study in the humanities are as and as the who made that, as and value to the of the other are against our the and its in on and University The humanities the work not of inspired but of their in these feel like but Humanities also work these a of our work can be or study reading and This the humanities to to who that universities for the they on that are of that people can and But in the humanities that these skills are more and than are The of and has public and with our and it and for to be our with the you even into the you would be by how little was of the would be one in their with students in their one the social with of their was to and to be much than it was is for and a of a the to this new in which the main is See The of in and and University The or of a is than its to the data value is to its value as of the of the noun that to anything a that can be that and other the often the and In The of the of noise as this of its that it on have become signs that something is out of the of noise and at the he The noise to – as if it were that it if it were not to be the of The of they are used more has little in the power of its to and change how are seen as a for out something for their of – as were a of on the of and not that The humanities scholar that are not a but the that the of that the is partly This them to be of current of and of other life can be it can be We have come to of reading as a a of a and the take something to something in its first the English to or the of The humanities reading in but a ‘The of an June in the humanities to come with our own and reading of a reading is it can be a but must be inspired by and into other and be to its In the humanities is a number of by from its to of the or that can be or at that can be the of to from its in of what called a University in the one first of with began to an to that of and a of to his of with a he not the that in He to the story of The of to the of the and the of the had the for but the was not had to his with the he is to the of the of the in (ed.), of the to that the of is an the power of it on of and had the of the to a work with that of a the the widely of his he had one of the in He was an in and But he also in and and in the of and all his and left behind he had the for life and work are now of to humanities the and of the The with its of and to first has feels especially worth when much public to and and often into people take feel like and critique like an how to from our own and in a as the at it it by our The in Plumb, Crisis in the Humanities, The humanities to a of can the from their they study the of to their as science they that are all from the in the the The a as to The of in (ed.), for University of The same be of or in the humanities. to to will be a has begun to the power of the But it has come to the the for both and all at it the in The humanities with this of Humanities now often in arts literature This from the sciences is to make humanities and has a long a of his a is he not from his in of The for was not a but in which about are to of University of humanities a may be a but it is a that a of confidence about what the humanities do. needs it by the of and other that the The humanities and in this they and of and they and In the humanities, and the about what our of a a humanities scholar needs a that in of either physical or the or the they are – in and by to make their own of humanities their or is a historian of of their is to the of in a that the and of of public The humanities scholar that the is and for to with the little about how to the into our current with the of the gives as to what life will be like after the humanities scholar the to make of have not and other to that have ‘The is not of but of of as were by the of is a at which the for an from can be The from to the (London: and the humanities as an to the of of such is how often policy makers as an of the of the humanities to the In May the education Charles to have been when he was to have an at University some for But is for the to for that he had to an of the university as ‘the of a of He that this was a poor for and May Charles the of May In May of University was not when he the need a who is a he who has the to society than a of at Telegraph, May In January the of the on called for student fees for degrees in subjects that skills shortages in engineering or where are to history, all the from government and on to areas the needs and will it More for a that you into The Times, January these that the a in his that is but much he that in and were as a into long of society with and – a used against and have this that the against that in the what now was than other of such as and the to – the face of the and a to the and to the of – in from the late century was as a and and in the of as something that in for and the of as is a of how the humanities can the of of to some from this the the that our were and to ‘The for the as the for in The of this for the The of and is in the current its now more and and The of is one of of change and of to the of as ‘the which its own by ‘Introduction’, in to (London: The humanities scholar that are as and that have been that, than into the on that of creative – not much to that are in the as to that is into the by its cutting but the humanities are not to other and by more they than on and by on the begun of of when into to on the This long for in life is it is at with the from a that much a life to in the of a which of for one of the people to a is a of it of how is the in the that from other or that that for and of their their and had than and now that the has revealed in must our of our own and as is more that are like for like and that other have that seem as as our own were to them has an more than and a of in the of the and life at as as and ‘The of that that the – – is in that of a The of and show that our of the may the and the has that all the have and other to our – of like and – are and a are worth more or than other of We are of into for a can a on a can the value of the and and you a for the to a is more in its can the value of a to a or to for a or a of public if the value of a life is a that would one life must more than The value of a life in like life current and number of has a more than a The has a more life than from But this how to the of or how feel when love have been when he that were on the of a in of the In our the of the to the of of that he not how much of the was have to be a or a to to he Times, of the of may as more but such a But are to and all to the the humanities to this need to as – as what with in it of the on a in on (London: a new to in English is a they would or his is This much about our current that texts be and our own The humanities scholar students to the – to texts that may and even them with their and texts will them about other and from their that or as and as The humanities are an in in the and of is and as as its is the – than – of ‘The or in and (London: Penguin, in the humanities both the of and and the of that This of the – that are and social – is the of and of the humanities. In In the of about in the a who themselves from that they would be by the were seen as than even with and they were not or other than the from the on to study English and at the University of In Charles and and they a new of about the of and that the and that of in both his new and We were all as had had an on the people In the of a a (London: This that life is both in and of a is in and the of all that some than the of a on a or found in a or by to its and for on the We it on some these as than the to for some more or even than on of the if your is not as your life was worth The of and (London: The out of the of – a that are or of and that when in it is as if who has been has in with The Humanities and University that the of the humanities is to the into where have it – ‘to to the where not to in its and at the of its to make We forget the when become to of The humanities that can be as as that they can as as or they We some that on and not how they other people into or – or them out of the story ‘We but often to love or to to or to be what to and it The (London: of work has how power gets to its own story in a that other We have that the can seem – is a or a and what The to such is to people in the for what now But be not to of the same for in the and the to the humanities scholar that all of are In this to our and the humanities to the of – the of and – has become the of is the of a that as a in a and a to be this anything can be and can be No one who what to or or the In to seem and it it and it can make the seem by it in such as or This to is what people in public life and hear a political or of our a wrote in his in August at for which He called these (London: – an to how out and feel and to The humanities of the behind the by with a that also our by as data or This with from that for or that our is or to that are not a now take at of what was from to is to and media as data to be and to be by a by computer The humanities to the that this one – and to the fact that these are themselves This not that humanities will make more or or more than a about life in all its by that the of their work them to this is by the of they that they are all that of and our life for to its in double students often a for the they work a of the of life and the and of as science a on our own it and our and their about our in the is an end and in it can a of our own such as when the of and or the of But science the one that the humanities show that in all their and are In is an in of he has The of that of our seem to The humanities are both and are they that is by the make and the to be and more knowledge and to from it our to and to the and of all and our to be and by the the humanities are also that, even these are and The humanities began in the creative of the with its of the secular of The studia humanitatis were a to the of The humanities show that the highest when people in their own skills, and when they as if their and the of The humanities a and about funding and student are But as the humanities are the university and they have in the – of and has how political the a university of the humanities behind with other in by or their that they study other the of from languages by with to a their some of these of English wrote his on for in The of in (ed.), The of from to The love of the arts was a of their and in a to The humanities and to more than be on to skills have need to it can be when it has been will that this is a and of education and to the But that is story they have themselves – as all its own of drew you to the humanities in the first was that you were not on that that it you all you about You are not on that you are a humanities you like it or