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Title: The Future of the Humanities : Teaching Art, Religion, Philosophy, Literature, and History (Foundations of Higher Education) by Walter Arnold Kaufmann ISBN: 1-56000-780-X Publisher: Transaction Pub Pub. Date: November, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)

Rating: 4
Summary: The Future of the Humanities
Comment: Professor Kaufmann explicitly states why the humanities are important: "...the humanities may hold the key to the future of humanity." In this book Professor Kaufmann addresses the problem of teaching subjects in the humanities in the current ethos pervading higher education levels. He is clear and precise in his diagnosis of the problem, and equally clear and precise as to what must be done to make the humanities once again relevant and meaningful.

This book is a call to intellectual integrity no less than a consideration of the issue of teaching the humanities . Professor Kaufmann exemplifies that integrity in his work and provides compelling arguments for why we should consider his point of view.

Art, Religion, Philosophy, Literature and History are the core of the humanities curriculum. Although he does not mention it, I would include Archeology as well.

Much of what he says seems common sense. It is a mistake for the humanities to seek to be scientific. This erodes credibility in these collective disciplines rather than enhances it. The advancement of new knowledge, or new understandings that can be drawn from these disciplines is lacking because of overspecialization, what he refers to as microscopism, of the academics engaged in humanities research. Professor Kaufmann only deals with the work of academics in the academic setting. While his assessment seems reasonable regarding a great deal of work that goes on, I think it may be viewed as perhaps a little excessive if one includes published books authored by academics in a humanities discipline.

In discussing what needs to be done the contrast of the scholastic vs. the socratic mind is important. A return to a socratic ethos, a probing and questioning of all that is taught is indispensable as is an inter-disciplinary approach to all subjects. He identifies several ways of avoiding learning anything from a text. Dogmatism, Exegetical reading, Dialectical reading of a text, all of these are defined and discussed as to their impact of learning. Kaufmann provides his view of how a text ought to be read: Not with the antagonism of a closed mind but "...we must allow ourselves to be addressed by the text, we must hearken for its distinctive voice, we must try to discern how it differs from all other voices. We must permit it to challenge, shock and offend us."

Kaufmann spends part of the book making a case for why Religion ought to be taught along with the other disciplines. Comparative Religion is the means of examining our own and our society's faith and morals, ideologies and values. Kaufmann's was a penetrating mind and reading his work is well worth the effort, there is much in this book to consider while facing our collective future.