Why the Humanities Still Matter: A Case Built on Grief and Scholarship

Simone de Beauvoir's 112-page memoir, A Very Easy Death, did what years of support could not. It made one grieving reader feel seen.

The essay collection that frames this argument first appeared on the JSTOR Blog as part of a series on the enduring importance of the humanities. Its unnamed author lost her maternal grandmother in 2020. That grandmother, she writes, "quite literally played the role of 'mother' in my life." The loss left her asking whether her accomplishments meant anything without a witness.

Then she found de Beauvoir. The memoir recounts the philosopher's mother's final days. For the first time, the author writes, "someone had finally seen me" — a writer who preceded her by thirty-six years.

What do the humanities actually change?

The essay's answer draws on centuries of history and a growing body of research.

The humanities encompass history, literature, philosophy and art. Perez Zagorin, in "On Humanism Past & Present," traces Western humanism to Greece in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE. There, Sophists pursued a cultural-educational program aimed at human excellence. Rome refined the ideal into a set of studies: philosophy, history, literature, rhetoric and oratory.

The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries produced the most influential form of humanism, one "centered increasingly upon human interests and moral concerns rather than religion." Its stated purpose was cultivating well-spoken, literate Christian men.

Humanism later grew secular and found itself in competition with the sciences. Zagorin suggests empirical approaches overtook human-centered study, particularly after the massive loss of life in World War I and the disillusionment that followed.

What does the research show?

Scholars argue the humanities remain essential for understanding social dynamics and ethics. Richard J. Franke, in "The Power of the Humanities and a Challenge to Humanists," contends that humanistic interpretation "contributes to a tradition of interpretation" and explores domains that "animate the human experience."

Franke also links the humanities to critical thinking, which he defines as "that Socratic habit of articulating questions and gathering relevant information in order to make reasonable judgements."

The evidence is not only theoretical. A 2018 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that medical students across institutions credited humanities exposure with improving their "tolerance of ambiguity, empathy, and wisdom." The study also found that performing and watching drama increases empathy, and that "even good literature prompts better detection of emotions."

Why are the humanities declining?

Ibanga B. Ikpe, in "The Decline of the Humanities and the Decline of Society," names the pressures bluntly:

• The labor market increasingly demands qualifications for specific sectors.
• "Economic rather than academic motivations have become the primary basis for decision making in universities."
• Well-defined subjects are more profitable, so humanities funding has fallen significantly.
• Scholars themselves share blame, having "sequestered" in academia and lost connection with broader audiences.

What comes next?

The essay's closing argument is pragmatic. Philosophy's study of ethics can inform debates on artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Historical understanding can help policymakers address current social and political challenges. Support from organizations like JSTOR, and the embrace of new technology, could reverse the decline.

The stakes, the author argues, are not nostalgic. The humanities cultivate the empathy, wisdom and judgment that medicine, law, education and public policy all need. As the JSTOR series continues, its proposition stands: these disciplines shape the future rather than merely preserve the past.