Humanities I
Mr. Novrocki & Mrs. Cave-Mattie
Humanities Defined
Human – i – ties
Through the humanities we remember our history and envision our future. We
learn to understand and appreciate the experiences of others; we see that the same issues
we face were faced in other times, other places, and other cultures. The humanities focus
on the human experience—we explore it, assess it, interpret it, and relate to it.
The humanities are the stories, the ideas, and the words that help us make sense of
our lives and our world. The humanities introduce us to people we have never met, places
we have never visited, and ideas that may have never crossed our minds. By showing
how others have lived and thought about life, the humanities help us decide what is
important in our own lives and what we can do to make them better. By connecting us
with other people, they point the way to answers about what is right or wrong, or what is
true to our heritage and our history. The humanities help us address the challenges we
face together in our families, our communities, and as a nation.
* Humanity: the quality and state of being human *
Study in the Humanities and fine arts develops an understanding of what it means
to be human - the struggles and aspirations, achievements and failures, values and
visions. When we study humanities, we study how humans have expressed themselves
through the arts throughout history. This was one of the earliest and most basic of human
activities and serves as a way for people to reveal their values, priorities, and culture.
“In times like these, it is helpful to remember that there have always been times like
these” ~ Paul Harvey, radio broadcaster
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” ~Winston
Churchill, British Prime Minister during WWII
Read the following poem by Maya Angelou, Human Family.
What is her message?