Scope of Humanities

In the academe, the humanities is considered as part of the social sciences and the natural
sciences, one of the three major components of the liberal arts and sciences. The humanities
is a multi-faceted subject. While the precise definition of the humanities can be contentious,
the following disciplines are generally recognized to form their core:
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as
existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, law, justice, validity, mind, and language. It is described
as the love of truth, wisdom and intelligence by its critical, generally systematic approach
and its reliance on reasoned argument. When man asks and seeks answers to questions such
as:
Who am I? Where have I come from? What is the meaning of life? What can I do to remain an
effective, responsible member of the society? , man is trying to see himself as human. Thus,
he is searching for truth and wisdom. This is the philosophical approach in achieving the
ultimate goal of the humanities, which is to make man more human.
Psychology is the scientific study of the behavioral characteristics of an individual, including
the functions and processes of mind, in relation to the social and physical environment. As a
science, it gathers knowledge by carefully observing and measuring events and
experimenting. It is also an art because it develops skills in applying scientific knowledge to
problem solving. Being the field of science that studies the mental processes of man,
psychology is always concerned with human thoughts, feelings and emotion. Furthermore,
it seeks to explain the factors that affects how man expresses certain emotions and executes
certain behavior.
Sociology is the study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins,
organization, institutions, and development of human society. It focal interest is on how
humans deal with other human beings within his communal sphere.

History of Humanities

In the West, the study of the humanities can be traced to ancient Greece, as the basis of a
broad education for citizens. During Roman times, the concept of the seven liberal
arts evolved, involving grammar, rhetoric and logic ( the trivium) along
with arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music (the quadrivium). These subjects formed
 the bulk of medieval education, with the emphasis being on the humanities as skills or "ways
of doing".
A major shift occurred with the Renaissance humanism of the fifteenth century, when the
humanities began to be regarded as subjects to study rather than practice, with a
corresponding shift away from traditional fields into areas such as literature and history. In
the 20th century, this view was in turn challenged by the postmodernist movement, which
sought to redefine the humanities in more egalitarianterms suitable for a democratic society
since the Greek and Roman societies in which the humanities originated were not at all demo
cratic. This was in keeping with the postmodernists' nuanced view of themselves as the
culmination of history.

Branch of Humanities

Languages

 This particular branch of humanities consists of learning the way people communicate in
different speaking countries. It brings a sense of culture to individuals as they are likely to
be taught the various history and origins of the languages they learn.

The arts

 The arts consist of theater, music, art and film. They are all mediums of self-expression
and these courses in particular encourage personal interpretation and analysis. Fine arts
courses also come into this category; however, they focus more on the historical forms of
art and their origins.

Literature
 Literature refers to novels, short stories, plays and so on. Individuals attempt
to decipher the meaning of texts and look into symbolism and themes. Literature courses
delve into social aspects that may influence texts.

Philosophy and religion

 These courses study human behavior and the age-old questions such as the meaning of life
and the existence of God. They analyze various cultures and their religious beliefs as well
as moral codes.

History

 This is arguably the most facts-based course as individuals delve into past events such as
war and politics and how societies and cultures have been affected throughout the years.