Humanities Today †Define humanities and give current examples Essay

The Encyclopedia Britannica (2006) defines the homoities as Branches of knowledge that investigate charitable beings, their culture, and their self-expression. (Humanities). Those branches of knowledge include philosophy, literature, languages, the artifices, religion and history. The human beingsities examine the human retainer by studying the elements of culture that describe what is or was valued and considered measurable at a particular point in time.15th vitamin C Italian humanists referred to the humanistic discipline as studia humanitas which means the studies of humanity, indicating secular literary and learned activities (in grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, moral philosophy, and ancient Greek and Latin studies) that that they thought to be more(prenominal) humane and classical rather than divine (Humanities, 2006). In contrast, the physical lights flow to examine the reality and its phenomena objectively, without reference to or consideration of human meani ng and purpose, a key aspect of the humanities.Scholars further argue that the humanities be distinguished from other modes of study by either their subject matt and by the method of investigation used. One philosopher called the humanities the spiritual sciences and the human sciences (Humanities, 2006). He described them as areas of knowledge outside of the physical sciences. On the other hand, another turn-of-the- coke philosopher instead characterized the humanities according to their method of study.He argued that the humanities do not seek or follow common laws, as the sciences do and that they focus on values within human and cultural contexts, which is directly contrary to scientific methodologies. As described above, the humanities seek to understand the values of a people and their perceptions based on their direct expression through the arts, their language, and philosophies. Science is motivated by the liking to understand natural phenomena and dep break offent on em pirical observation (Talk Humanities, 2006).The twenty-first carbon brings a variety of social, economic, and technological changes. Following is a display of the humanities in the 21st century through the testing of its art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. intenses Is modern art in crisis? A new philosophical blame emerged in the person of American critic guilehur Danto, who came out with the idea that the objects of art begin zero as their theory approaches infinitythat is, art really is over, having set about transmuted into philosophy (Art Criticism, 2006).In his book The End of Art, author Donald Kuspit (2005) suggests that, Art has been replaced by postart, as a new visual category that elevates the banal over the enigmatic, the scatological over the sacred, cleverness over creativity. Contemporary art, or art that is done now, is largely characterized by its indefinability. It tends to include art made from the former(a) 1960s to the present, or a fter the supposed or putative end of modern art or the Modernist period (Contemporary Art, 2006).Todays art, interchangeable most of the humanities, has been transformed by technological, economical, and sociological advancements. It may or may not use traditional forms such as painting or drawing, and often includes the use of any variety of materials, video, or even performance as a part of it. One expressive style seems to be a focus on world issues such as cloning, the price of oil, sexual urge and sexuality, human rights, and war. A representative example is one of the most talked-about gross revenue in the contemporary market.Maurizio Cattelans The Ballad of Trotsky (1996), a stuffed horse hanging in a leather sling from the ceiling, sold for $2,080,000 in 2005 (Art and Exhibitions, 2006). medical specialty Contemporary music has also been big(p)ly influenced by 21st century globalism. It has seen a development and acceptance of world music, or music that features or or iginates in a different culture. American artists such as capital of Minnesota Simon and Sting featured musicians and singers from other countries and went on to win Grammys and American Music Awards.Simons Grammy Award-winning album Graceland (1986) featured black sec African Musicians who controversially recorded and toured with him despite a widespread handicraft boycott of South Africa, selling more than five million copies since its oust ( homo Music, 2006). Sting featured Farhat Bouallagui on his Brand New Day aIbum and Vicente Amigo and Anoushka Shankar on his Scared Love album. In the wake of their success, record stores became more automatic to stock music of their kind. Architecture Critics have described one trend in 21st century architecture as deconstructivist architecture.In popular usage, the term has come to mean a critical level of tradition and traditional modes of thought (Deconstruction, 2006). Technology has played a important role in the development of de constuctivist architectural methodologies. Architects such as point-blank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain used computer modeling to develop its angular, anthropomorphic exterior. Made mostly of titanium, the museum was designed to represent the industrial heritage of the metropoliss past. The museum was an international success and helped put Bilbao on the worlds cultural map. Philosophy A notable philosophy of the 21st century is that of the democratic community. Community in this case is defined globally. Philosophers such as American stool Dewey believed in social planning, in conscious well-grounded intervention to produce desirable social change and he proposed a new guide to enlightened public action to promote the aims of a democratic community (Philosophy, 2006). Deweys writings and teachings have brought modern social club to a place where it considers that it is only as strong as its idiosyncratic members and their willingness to work toget her to evolve and to meet the challenges facing it.Technological advancements in travel and communication alone have created a new world where anyone can send anything just about anywhere in a matter of minutes, days, or hours including explosives and disease. In addition to diseases like HIV and the raspberry bush Flu, this world community is faced with issues of severe weather such as killer tsunamis and hurricanes, and world terrorism. Modern philosophies like that of Dewey support the more practical view and approach to solutions to societal issues of this type as the only bureau to successfully meet them is as a community.Literature Like numerous of the arts in contemporary society, literature is plagued by commercialism and by the desire for a quick paycheck. Contemporary literature features a great deal of writings about true events the more sensational and graphic the better. In addition, it features a trend in crime study and investigation, beyond that of the mystery and private eye novels of the past. Todays novels get into the science and methodology of solving untamed crimes. Authors like James Patterson, Sue Grafton and John Grisham have enjoyed great popularity.Their success can be attributed to many things. The substance and subject matter of these authors works feeds societys desensitization to intense violence and its increasing demand for subject matter that is more violent and more shocking in order to be more compelling. Further, some(prenominal) of these authors stories have been made into movies. The humanities are distinguished by their examination of the aspects of culture and the human condition through the eyes of the humans who suffer and create them.The approach to their study differs from that of others areas of study, as does their focus on the aspect on human meaning and purpose. 21st century humanities report to reinforce the idea that current culture and the human condition is reflected in them, no matter what cent ury. References Art Criticism. (2006). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 4, 2006, from Encyclop? dia Britannica indemnity Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-236417 Art and Art Exhibitions. (2006). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 4, 2006, from Encyclop?dia Britannica Premium Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-234830 Contemporary Art. (2006). Retrieved June 3, 2006 from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Contemporary_art Deconstruction. (2006). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 4, 2006, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Premium Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-9029711 Humanities. (2006). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 3, 2006, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Premium Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-9041479 Kuspit, D. (2005). The End of Art.Cambridge University Press. Marcel Duchamp. (2006). Retrived June 3, 2006 from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp Philosophy, register of. (2006). In Encyc lop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 4, 2006, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Premium Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-8876 Talk Humanities, (2006). Retrieved June 4, 2006 from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/TalkHumanities World Music. (2006). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 4, 2006, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Premium Service http//www. britannica. com/eb/article-93180.