Link: Will the Humanities Save Us? - Stanley Fish - Think Again - Opinion - New York Times Blog.
To the question “of what use are the humanities?”, the only honest answer is none whatsoever.
Fish is just wrong. Now, there is no doubt that studying the humanities does not provide a more moral person, nor does it provide a guaranty of a better or more well adjusted person. It is difficult, if not impossible to measure and therefore a scientist or business person is likely to discount it. That, however, begs the question of its value because if you are a scientist or business person you believe that which can not be measured has no value. Certainly it does not perform any guaranty of morality. Himmler was a fan of art, and Mozart and a student of philosophy...and a mass murderer.
What humanities does is provide, by analogy, by entertainment, and by exposition, context and insight into the past and into the human condition. If I am a budding CIA agent in the middle east, am I better or worse for having studied the Koran, the Crusades, or the religions of the world? If I am a business person dealing with Japan, am I better or worse for having read the 5 Rings, studied Haiku, studied Japanese culture or the history of the the samurai? If I am David Petraeus am I better or worse for having studied the Art of War, or the history of insurgencies from ancient times or the history of the Roman Empire? If I am a superstar football player am I better or worse at dealing with my new found wealth and fame, and my old friends, if I have read Henry IV part 2 and Henry V?
The humanities have value, its just hard to measure it with precision or describe it except by analogy and example.
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