Friday, June 6, 2008

The World in Humanities by Claudio V. Tabotabo (April, 2004)

If college education mean to equip students with the understanding of the world, this understanding must emanate from subjects in General Education course. These are the subjects under the humanities such as; language; English and Filipino, history, philosophy, social sciences, literature and some others.

These subjects have a respective area of specialization, but they have one common task, to provide students the key to understanding the world and humanity. History explains the failures in the past, which is the foundation of a better tomorrow. Literature pictures out peoples with diverse cultural practices, diverse aspirations and diverse solutions to problems. The students must understand all these things before they are allowed to master their chosen field of specialization.

Humanities are indeed subjects labeled as liberal. They liberate the minds from the bondage of ignorance.

The task of the teachers in humanities is to train students how to understand these things. Knowing brought about by knowledge is not enough. It is wisdom brought about by understanding that mankind must bear to live a good life.

So far as history of teaching is concerned, extensive readings remains unsurpassed by all teaching styles available. Students must read. Professor who can profess in his subject matter must device strategies that motivate students to read. But this is not simply telling the students to read. Basic job of the teacher is to prepare reading materials for the students.

If we really want change let’s go back to the classic in literature and philosophy. Classic because it is tested by time. Great men in the world from the inventors of great machine like Robert Fulton to the giants of arts like William Shakespeare are reading men. They read the classics.

Students must read Jean Jacues Rousseau, Goethe, Cervantes, Montaigne, Plato Thoreau De Sartre and many others.

It’s not our ambition to produce men like Shakespeare, but at least we can build up a man who can understand the world.

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