Why Humanities?: Further Reading

16 January 2012

Key points of reference for the current debate:

Stefan Collini, 'Browne's Gamble'. LRB 32.21 (4 November 2010). [See also David Willett's speech on "The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in the Modern University"]

Stefan Collini, 'From Robbins to McKinsey'. LRB 33.16 (25 August 2011).

Martha C. Nussbaum, Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. You can download the first chapter from the official site.

The Purpose of Liberal Education:
Martha C. Nussbaum, Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education. Harvard University Press, 1998. Preview available on Google Books.
Bill Readings, The University In Ruins. Harvard University Press, 1996. Preview.

The Role of the Intellectual:
Bruce Robbins, Secular Vocations: Intellectuals, Professionalism, Culture. London: Verso, 1993. Preview.
Bruce Robbins, Intellectuals: Aesthetics, Politics, Academics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1990. Preview.

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Why "Why Humanities"?

This blog emerged from the conference "The Changing Role of the Humanities in the Academy and Society", organised by Georgia Christinidis and Heather Ellis at the Centre for British Studies, Humboldt University, from 15 to 17 September 2011. The Question "Why Humanities" cannot be answered without rearticulating the role of the entire university in contemporary society. The key issue, to us, is the link between the university, democracy and the so-called knowledge economy. Nevertheless, the funding crisis means that the humanities are particularly urgently in need of our defense, hence the title "Why Humanities". We are not associated with the Birkbeck conference of the same name nor with the series of articles published in the Guardian, though we will be linking to both on this blog, as their goal - defending the humanities - is also ours. One of the main purposes of this blog is, in fact, to provide a comprehensive list of resources on the current crisis and initiatives that have sprung to the defense of the humanities.