Why Major in Classics or  General Humanities?


We now live in the Age of Information,  where a  premium is  put upon the ability  to   process  large masses of information quickly, accurately and subtly, and to disseminate that information to the wider community. We also live in an increasingly interconnected, diverse, and multicultural world, whose rate of change is constantly increasing and where the penalties for not being able to deal with diversity and change are grave. It is often noted that todayŐs college graduate will change jobs several times in his or her life, perhaps radically. Further, if democracy is to function, it depends on an electorate which can understand and make decisions and conduct debates about how to deal with a increasingly complex world, where it is harder and harder to find out the truth and the right course of action. And our liberty, safety and even happiness does depend on the preservation of our government and society.
     A major or minor in Classics and especially General Humanities is a degree in fundamentals that will provide invaluable tools for living productively within this time of unparalleled change and diversity. A strong case can be made that we learn better the more (and more different) things we know. The Humanities major, by providing a good overview of the Western worldŐs history in terms of social movements, history, intellectual developments, material culture and literature and other forms of artistic production, give the student  a better appreciation of both familiar and foreign cultures, and grants important insights into the fundamentals of culture and the processes by which it functions and changes. The Classics major, with it definite focus on the history and culture of Greece and Rome, opens up the minds of students by means of an interlocking exploration of cultures in some ways radically different from their own, and yet strangely familiar. Since Western culture largely rests upon Greco-Roman foundations, students can observe the ways and means cultures change over time, and how often the past is used to define the present. And the accompanying courses in Classical Greek and Latin are well known to help not only the studentŐs language skills, but cultivate a greater precision of thought.
    While specialists will always be necessary, employers increasingly need people who can constantly learn and who know the fundamentals of learning. Those with a Classics degree almost never encounter any who doubt their ability to learn; success in the Classical languages, reputed to be difficult, ensures that. While the Humanities and Classics degrees can be the gateway into a large range of fields in academics and the larger world, they seem especially well suited to those areas involving cultural production. For example, with the rapid expansion of new information outlet (cable, the internet, direct satellite transmission, etc.) there will be an increased need for content providers. This content will not only consist of entertainment, but also of vital information, constantly updated, that will help the general public navigate their constantly changing world. Helping provide such information is one of the jobs for all humanists in the coming millennium.
    For those students wanting to sample Classics and General Humanities, we suggest our course in Mythology or on the Trojan War (GNHU 285, GNHU 115) or our courses in General Humanities (GNHU 201, GNHU 202) or our courses in Greek and Roman Civilization (GNHU 281, GNHU 282). For more information about our programs, pick up one of our handouts containing more detailed information about particular majors and minors,  visit our web site at http://www.chss.montclair.edu/classics/classics.html, or call or visit Dr. Alvares or any other member of our Department. Our Departmental Office is Dickson 104.