Abstract

GALINDO, Liliana. The Relative and the Universal in the Defense of Humanities for Democracy. Lit. teor. hist. crit. [online]. 2015, vol.17, n.2, pp.113-128. ISSN 0123-5931.  https://doi.org/10.15446/lthc.v17n2.51279.

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.

Keywords : Educational model; liberal education; criticism; empathy; democracy; humanity.

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