'Waning Humanities'

The perennial dirge about the "death of the humanities" has been quickening into a funeral march of late. While some wringing of hands may be pertinent, the uncontrolled sobbing in many quarters is out of place. Actually, things seem to be looking up for the humanities. As these studies begin to find their level in the present technology-minded society, recently voiced fears become misleading and harmful.

At first glance, the humanities do seem to have sunk quite low. Since 1930, while college enrollment has increased by over 1,000, the number of humanities concentrators has dropped from 1,200 to less than 900. Coupled with the present drop in applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the traditional stronghold of the humanities, these figures seem alarming. The stories of business personnel offices which are unusually unreceptive to applications from humanities majors, and recent statements from President Pusey and other educators, make the problem seem of vast proportions indeed.

It is somewhat less serious, however, when viewed beside other recent developments. While the actual concentrators in the humanities may be fewer, this fact in itself is no indication that the influence of the humanities in waning. Everyone must now take General Education courses, most of which--even in the natural sciences--are partially oriented toward the humanities. The number of curses elected in the humanities division itself is as large as in the social sciences. Both attract a little more than a third of undergraduate interest. And last year, as President Pusey points out in his annual report, for the first time in more than twenty-five years the number of concentrators in the humanities increased, rising from 19 to 25 percent of the freshman class.

Business too has been quick to emphasis the value of the humanities in rounding out its future executives, and has gauged its recent financial contributions accordingly. While there is danger lest a sort of latter-day Babbitry rear its head out of such business support, industrial interest in itself hardly betokens a decline for the humanities.

The major immediate danger is not that they will disappear, but that too few will major in them to keep their departments going, and that not enough students will enter teaching to sustain them in the future. The financial appeal of professions in the social and natural sciences underlies much of this danger. Business too often has demanded technically trained people though simultaneously mouthing approval of the humanities. Possibly a compromise between education and business could be worked out wherein business would assume much of the specialized training after graduation and depend on the colleges for more general, liberal instruction. Today, many who major in the sciences in order to secure jobs find themselves later placed in administrative positions where their technical skills are almost useless.

These problems require thoughtful, immediate work on the part of foundations, industry, and education--not academic hand-wringing. Obviously there is little danger that humanities interest will fade away; but provision must be made for top-level instruction in the future.