In order to develop one must examine, conserve, celebrate and be honest about one's past. An interesting Opinion piece in today's GT touches on the importance of the arts and humanities on a country's society:
"But the most shocking aspect of the move(Budget cuts) is that arts and humanities departments will be targeted more aggressively than science and engineering, which are supposedly better for business........
to target the kinds of education(Arts and Humanities) that lead to an open, vigorous civil society and a population that is hard to suppress.
.........the attack on the arts and humanities is a giant step in the direction of a pliable, dumbed-down citizenry. Indeed, the war against the arts and humanities in the US coincided with the emergence of an increasingly ignorant and passive population and a government that serves at the pleasure of corporate interests.
Academics in the arts and humanities are notoriously bad at defending why their work has value. But, apart from strengthening civil society and the habits of freedom, these disciplines yield bottom-line benefits as well. Who needs to read closely, seek evidence, and make a reasoned argument — skills that the study of poetry, the novel, history, and philosophy provide? Who needs to study languages and comparative literature? For Cameron, evidently, the answer is: no one of importance.
Let us imagine, then, a Britain of tomorrow that includes parliamentarians who don’t know what led to World War I, or what the Enlightenment was; journalists who can’t write compellingly; attorneys and judges who can’t figure out their cases; and spies and diplomats who don’t speak the languages or understand the cultures in which they work. That Britain will look more like the US of today." http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=396262...
In order to develop one must examine, conserve, celebrate and be honest about one's past. An interesting Opinion piece in today's GT touches on the importance of the arts and humanities on a country's society:
"But the most shocking aspect of the move(Budget cuts) is that arts and humanities departments will be targeted more aggressively than science and engineering, which are supposedly better for business........
to target the kinds of education(Arts and Humanities) that lead to an open, vigorous civil society and a population that is hard to suppress.
.........the attack on the arts and humanities is a giant step in the direction of a pliable, dumbed-down citizenry. Indeed, the war against the arts and humanities in the US coincided with the emergence of an increasingly ignorant and passive population and a government that serves at the pleasure of corporate interests.
Academics in the arts and humanities are notoriously bad at defending why their work has value. But, apart from strengthening civil society and the habits of freedom, these disciplines yield bottom-line benefits as well. Who needs to read closely, seek evidence, and make a reasoned argument — skills that the study of poetry, the novel, history, and philosophy provide? Who needs to study languages and comparative literature? For Cameron, evidently, the answer is: no one of importance.
Let us imagine, then, a Britain of tomorrow that includes parliamentarians who don’t know what led to World War I, or what the Enlightenment was; journalists who can’t write compellingly; attorneys and judges who can’t figure out their cases; and spies and diplomats who don’t speak the languages or understand the cultures in which they work. That Britain will look more like the US of today."
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=396262...