Should the "Humanities" subjects exist?

[Medicated]

I just find the idea of "sociology" or "social sciences" to be such a broad complex subject, that it makes no sense. At least in the way it exists now.

Because it's virtually trying to encapsulate so many disciplines. Because you are explaining the behavior of humans. Involving, neurology, biology, anthropology, psychology, psychiatry, ancient and modern human history, statistics, and adding in some parts of philosophy. At least for a start.

If anything, I'd say you'd have to study all the disciplines above before you could even consider yourself something akin to a social scientist. Something like "Social Scientist" as a title should be worthy of respect.

But it seems to me social scientist, has come to mean, "Arm chair psychologist and philosopher"

This is just my thoughts though, what do you think?

 

[Trasha Pay That A$$]

It is better than Woman's Studies.

 

[OG 666]

Hmm, I think Sociology could be less of a meme if it focused more on evidence-based research and less on ideologically-influenced "theories" about society. Like, I think there's actually some value to having quantifiable research of human behavior as it relates to society: demographic makeup, crime patterns, socioeconomic class patterns, other behaviors that can be measured on a mass scale.

As it currently stands, Sociology is a blow-off class that you're required to take when you're a college freshman, and it's almost always taught through a heavily politicized lens.

 

[YourMommasBackstory]

It is better than Gender Studies.

FIFY

 

[Trasha Pay That A$$]

FIFY

Thanks, boo. I'm feeling a little retro today apparently.

 

[Your Weird Fetish]

The humanities range from subjects that are very scientifically valuable but approached in such an unscientific way as to render the field useless, to things that would be fine for an interesting hobby but are absurd to require students to become massively indebted to learn.

 

[wylfım]

The humanities used to be good. Then modernism and postmodernism happened, and any semblance of logical, rational thought was snuffed out. 95% of modern literature is garbage, especially the stuff they teach in schools. I don't give a fuck what woman or black people think about life, I want arguments about human nature or how to run society. Oedipus Rex, Dostoevsky, Machiavelli, etc.
There's so much emphasis on understanding "how the author creates their argument," bullshit like diction syntax and symbolism. I don't care how they make their point, I just want to know what their fucking point is so I can debate it.
Ugh this topic gets me unnecessarily mad. Literary analysis is complete garbage these days.

 

[CatParty]

Lol calm down

 

[IV 445]

I think Philosophy is a good subject, but it’s simply not something you can make a career out of.

Unless you absolutely love philosophy and teaching, then you will never work a day in your life. And who knows you could actually be remembered one day as an important thinker.

 

[wylfım]

I think Philosophy is a good subject, but it’s simply not something you can make a career out of.

Unless you absolutely love philosophy and teaching, then you will never work a day in your life. And who knows you could actually be remembered one day as an important thinker.

I think the issue is more with the way current society is structured. People need to work for a living— it seriously bogs down any sort of progress that requires extensive time. Ancient Greece and Rome, they had slaves to feed people, meaning the aristocracy could afford to spend decades of their life working on things with long-term benefits that aren't otherwise sustainable. There's a reason so many great ideas came from those eras.

 

[IV 445]

I think the issue is more with the way current society is structured. People need to work for a living— it seriously bogs down any sort of progress that requires extensive time. Ancient Greece and Rome, they had slaves to feed people, meaning the aristocracy could afford to spend decades of their life working on things with long-term benefits that aren't otherwise sustainable. There's a reason so many great ideas came from those eras.

Ok let’s bring back slavery

 

[User names must be unique]

Applied sociology and clinical sociology will destroy sociology and humanity courses imho, because applied sociology takes the theories from the other two and tries to put them into practice that can't be done without fundamental changing the theories.

 

[AJ 447]

I just find the idea of "sociology" or "social sciences" to be such a broad complex subject

These terms are not interchangeable.

Because it's virtually trying to encapsulate so many disciplines. Because you are explaining the behavior of humans. Involving, neurology, biology, anthropology, psychology, psychiatry, ancient and modern human history, statistics, and adding in some parts of philosophy. At least for a start.

Humanities: philosophy
Social sciences: sociology, psychology
Natural sciences: neurology, biology
Formal science: statistics
Interdisciplinary: anthropology and history, between social sciences and humanities, and psychiatry between social and natural sciences

This is simplified, of course, because many research topics cross over into different areas of study, but this is a good outline, from an academic standpoint.

 

[wylfım]

Ok let’s bring back slavery

Say what you will about its morality, it allows the people who benefit from it the time and resources to make massive leaps forward. People are not equal. A 200 IQ hard-working aristocrat contributes infinitely more than a 70 IQ lazy autistic NEET.

 

[ES 148]

200 IQ hard-working aristocrat

 

[Ahffline]

Of course. The Humanities are more than just Gender Studies. They encompass Art, History, Language, Classics, Philosophy, etc. They study those subjects that help define us culturally. The best education would be one grounded in both Science and the Humanities, as it would give the student access to the broadest spectrum of subject matter.

Some of the Humanities, such as Languages, are fundamental to modern society.

 

[Y2K Baby]

They should be mini-degrees like bite-sized M&M's.

 

[cecograph]

With few exceptions, I'm sceptical of any field that puts "science" in its name, and social science is one I am particularly sceptical about. There's a lot of drek that I reckon shouldn't exist.

That's not the humanities though. People in humanities departments don't pretend to be scientists. They'd call themselves "scholars", and like reading books and maintaining a cultural elite. Those folks are generally cool with me.

 

[HiddenFist]

They have a genuine right to exist. The problem lies in the fact that they were infected with postmodernism, social justice, and identity politics decades ago. Not to mention the overall low pay for the majority of subjects as a career choice.

 

[Draza]

Too bad it's been effected with cultural Marxism and social justice ideology.