To discuss the value of the humanities, we must first understand what the humanities are. Here is my own definition:

The humanities are the study of the artifacts of humanity—the things that set man apart from the rest of the animal world, thereby demonstrating man to be a “rational animal,” or, as the Bible says, the imago Dei (made in the image of God). It is the study of the cultus (worship and theology), craft (art and literature), and contemplations (philosophy and ideas) of civilization.

In other words, the meaning is in the word itself: humanity.

Still, let us see what others have said about the humanities. In speaking of the studia humanitatis (humanistic studies), Carl Trueman describes an established intellectual and cultural curriculum focused on grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy (Trueman 179): language arts, history, and ethics. In A New History of the Humanities, Rens Bod frames the humanities as the search for principles and patterns across time and cultures in texts, art, poetry, theatre, language, and music: language arts, performing arts, and fine arts in historical context. Bod goes on to note that the humanities are also concerned with gaining insight into our culture and its values, and through this, into our own humanity (Bod 10). Culture keeps resurfacing in this discussion, and rightly so: the humanities are fundamentally concerned with the expression of humanity through literature, ideas, art, ethics, etc., which constitutes culture. From this we arrive at a more refined definition: the humanities are a cultural discipline, studying literature, ideas, and various art forms in historical context, with the goal of better understanding humanity, so as to be more fully human.

This literary character of the humanities is central, which is why the so-called Great Books, Great Ideas, and Great Conversation are so integral to a robust humanities program. Understanding how the great ideas—truth, goodness, beauty, law, justice, logic, rhetoric, the one and the many, the soul, sin, wisdom, God, etc.—have been discussed across the centuries matters for understanding what it means to be human and to live well: What is truth, goodness, and beauty? Are these objective or subjective? Are we simply matter in motion or do we have a soul? Why do we feel a sense of awe when we encounter a beautiful work of art? What is art? Is beauty simply in the eye of the beholder? What are the means by which we should think about these things? What is law? Where does it come from? What is a citizen? How can I be a good citizen? How can I move someone to action? How am I moved to action? Am I primarily motivated by emotional platitudes or by reason? Why is there something rather than nothing? Does God exist? Is life meaningful? Is my life meaningful? What is education for? Simply to ask these questions is to demonstrate the great value of the humanities.

From this brief exploration of what the humanities are, their significance becomes clear. Understanding humanity is an invaluable part of a well-lived and well-ordered life. We are born into a cultural inheritance, and studying the humanities helps us understand and appreciate these ancestral traditions, even where we may not fully agree with them. There is a cultural history we must learn if we are to truly understand our institutions and what is expected of us in sustaining a healthy society. As Cicero put it in his Orator, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?” Further, to study the humanities is to become well read in great literature by some of history’s finest minds. To enter into dialogue with these authors is to enter the Great Conversation, and some of our best learning happens in the company of old books.

In conclusion, studying the humanities can make us wiser, more virtuous, more skilled in craft, and more responsible human beings and citizens.