Introduction to Introduction to HumanitiesHumanities

Just What Are Humans?Just What Are Humans?

HumanitiesHumanities

The Study of the Human ConditionThe Study of the Human Condition Just what is the human condition?Just what is the human condition? We remember the pastWe remember the past We can imagine the futureWe can imagine the future We have emotions: joy, depression, terrorWe have emotions: joy, depression, terror

—the stuff of literature, the arts, —the stuff of literature, the arts, philosophyphilosophy

What enables us to think and express What enables us to think and express these things? Let’s look at ourselves a these things? Let’s look at ourselves a little closerlittle closer

Taxonomy: We are Taxonomy: We are Homo sapiensHomo sapiens

We are the only human We are the only human species on the planetspecies on the planet

We have a brain; that’s We have a brain; that’s why we thinkwhy we think

We have a brain and We have a brain and system of speech: that’s system of speech: that’s why we have languagewhy we have language

We have abilities to make We have abilities to make and use toolsand use tools

That’s why we can act, That’s why we can act, write literature, sing, draw write literature, sing, draw pictures, create sculpturespictures, create sculptures

And finally, we are And finally, we are bipedal; we stand and walk bipedal; we stand and walk on two feeton two feet

What Goes into Humanities? What Goes into Humanities? LanguageLanguage

Language is the backbone of the Language is the backbone of the humanitieshumanities

Linguistics is the scientific study of Linguistics is the scientific study of language, but focus is on the aestheticslanguage, but focus is on the aesthetics

Cuneiform (left) was among the first Cuneiform (left) was among the first languages to be used in the Near East. languages to be used in the Near East.

Classical Languages are the media for Classical Languages are the media for understanding the Greeks and the understanding the Greeks and the RomansRomans

Latin was the language of the medieval Latin was the language of the medieval churchmenchurchmen

Written language is the foundation of Written language is the foundation of literature (poetry, novels, drama)literature (poetry, novels, drama)

No language, no humanitiesNo language, no humanities

What Goes Into Humanities: What Goes Into Humanities: HistoryHistory

Humanities appeals to the pastHumanities appeals to the past Traditionally, scholars have to know their Traditionally, scholars have to know their

classical historyclassical history Systematic study of the families, societies Systematic study of the families, societies

and the great men (sometimes women)and the great men (sometimes women) Today, history is more of a social science Today, history is more of a social science

with a dimension of timewith a dimension of time Santayana: “Who ignores the past is Santayana: “Who ignores the past is

doomed to repeat it.”doomed to repeat it.” Faulkner: “The past is never dead: it isn’t Faulkner: “The past is never dead: it isn’t

even past.”even past.”

What Goes Into Humanities: What Goes Into Humanities: ClassicsClassics

Western Societies: The Greeks and the RomansWestern Societies: The Greeks and the Romans The philosophers: Plato, who emphasized the The philosophers: Plato, who emphasized the

ideal, and Aristotle, who emphasized observationideal, and Aristotle, who emphasized observation The Playwrights: Sophocles, Ovid, Horace the The Playwrights: Sophocles, Ovid, Horace the

satirist.satirist. Homer, the epic poetHomer, the epic poet Mesopotamia: the epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi Mesopotamia: the epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi

and his legal codesand his legal codes Egypt: The Book of the DeadEgypt: The Book of the Dead China: Lao Tse, ConfuciusChina: Lao Tse, Confucius Tibet: Its own Book of the DeadTibet: Its own Book of the Dead

What Goes Into Humanities: LawWhat Goes Into Humanities: Law

Law comprise rules that govern Law comprise rules that govern human behaviorhuman behavior

Found where there are state; it’s the Found where there are state; it’s the power holders who make them; the power holders who make them; the police who enforce thempolice who enforce them

It is also based on philosophy, the It is also based on philosophy, the values that create law.values that create law.

What Goes into Humanities: What Goes into Humanities: ReligionReligion

Concerns the supernatural, that Concerns the supernatural, that which is beyond the ken of the which is beyond the ken of the five senses and their extensions five senses and their extensions like the telescope or the like the telescope or the microscopemicroscope

Goes back to the Neolithic and Goes back to the Neolithic and beyond to animismbeyond to animism

Half the world’s religions are Half the world’s religions are Abrahamic—go back to the Abrahamic—go back to the patriarch Abraham and form the patriarch Abraham and form the root of Judaism, Christianity, and root of Judaism, Christianity, and IslamIslam

Many are derived from the East Many are derived from the East with the doctrine of samsara with the doctrine of samsara (illusion), karma (consequences (illusion), karma (consequences of past acts), and nirvana of past acts), and nirvana (liberation from samsara): (liberation from samsara): Hinduism and BuddhismHinduism and Buddhism

Includes the question: where do Includes the question: where do we go after we die—the we go after we die—the fundamental question of fundamental question of mortalitymortality

What Goes into Humanities: What Goes into Humanities: PhilosophyPhilosophy

Philosophy means “Love of Knowledge.”Philosophy means “Love of Knowledge.” It asks who we are, and especially what we know and what It asks who we are, and especially what we know and what

is knowableis knowable The Greeks systematized it, and Plato and Aristotle are the The Greeks systematized it, and Plato and Aristotle are the

twin founderstwin founders Above: the philosophers are depicted at the Lyceum, the Above: the philosophers are depicted at the Lyceum, the

School of AthensSchool of Athens

What goes into Humanities: The What goes into Humanities: The Visual ArtsVisual Arts

SculptureSculpture Greek and Roman sculpture of the Greek and Roman sculpture of the

human formhuman form Drawings, from sketches to Drawings, from sketches to

hatching to use of pastels (upper hatching to use of pastels (upper left, Escher’s left, Escher’s Drawing HandsDrawing Hands))

Paintings, involving the application Paintings, involving the application of a pigment within a medium and of a pigment within a medium and binder (glue) on a surface (lower binder (glue) on a surface (lower left of the Mona Lisa by Da Vinci)left of the Mona Lisa by Da Vinci)

Photography and digital art are the Photography and digital art are the most recent examplesmost recent examples

Music is the interpretation of sound Music is the interpretation of sound combined into melody and harmony combined into melody and harmony (such as the nine symphonies of (such as the nine symphonies of Beethoven, above)Beethoven, above)

Drama: the imitation of life on stage Drama: the imitation of life on stage (Below: Shakespeare included many (Below: Shakespeare included many historical re-enactments on state—historical re-enactments on state—Julius Caesar, Macbeth.Julius Caesar, Macbeth.

Dance: An expression of human Dance: An expression of human movement on stage performance, or movement on stage performance, or sometimes in a spiritual setting sometimes in a spiritual setting (such as the Whirling Dervishes of (such as the Whirling Dervishes of the Sufi sect of Islamthe Sufi sect of Islam

What Goes into Humanities: What Goes into Humanities: Performing ArtsPerforming Arts

The Territory Ahead: Historical The Territory Ahead: Historical Context IContext I

First we look at the nuts and bolts of what First we look at the nuts and bolts of what makes us human: our anatomy and how it makes us human: our anatomy and how it worksworks

Then we look at the prehistoric phases of Then we look at the prehistoric phases of humankind: the Upper Paleolithic and the humankind: the Upper Paleolithic and the NeolithicNeolithic

Finally we look at the formative Finally we look at the formative civilizations prior to the Greekscivilizations prior to the Greeks

The EgyptiansThe Egyptians The MesopotamiansThe Mesopotamians

The Territory Ahead: Historical The Territory Ahead: Historical Context IIContext II

This leads us to the Greeks This leads us to the Greeks Then we look at the RomansThen we look at the Romans Then we look at the hiatus between Then we look at the hiatus between

the Classic and the Medieval Periodsthe Classic and the Medieval Periods We look at Islam and How they We look at Islam and How they

preserved Western Culturepreserved Western Culture Then we conclude with the Medieval Then we conclude with the Medieval

Period and the precursors of the Period and the precursors of the Renaissance (lit. Rebirth)Renaissance (lit. Rebirth)

The Territory Ahead: Topical AreasThe Territory Ahead: Topical Areas

We will examine the philosophies of each era: they We will examine the philosophies of each era: they are the motor force of all humanitiesare the motor force of all humanities

We look at the societies that spawned the We look at the societies that spawned the philosophies: all were state level societies; that philosophies: all were state level societies; that includes law.includes law.

We then look at the religions and the supernatural We then look at the religions and the supernatural beliefsbeliefs

Then we’ll look at literature, the visual arts, and the Then we’ll look at literature, the visual arts, and the performing arts. performing arts.

We’ll see if they express the way society was in their We’ll see if they express the way society was in their timetime

Or whether they were the inspiration of individualsOr whether they were the inspiration of individuals Or perhaps some combination of both. Or perhaps some combination of both.