The Relative and the Universal in the Defense of Humanities for Democracy

When the importance of studying the humanities is called into question, a number of arguments appear in their defense. In this essay, one such argument is analyzed: democracy needs the humanities. Based on the educative model for democracy proposed by Martha Nussbaum in Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, the notions of liberal education, need for democracy and idea of humanity are explored. This exploration is done with an eye towards: asking ourselves about the significance granted to the specialized study of the humanities in higher education; what we mean when we talk about humanities; the question of their autonomy versus their function in a democracy; and, finally, the way in which they inform how we view and interact with others.