A Question of Values

In recent years, there has been a great deal of talk about the humanities and their relevance to questions of public policy. Much of this talk has come from people who believe that the direct application of the humanities to public policy will not only illuminate political issues, but will also justify and strengthen the humanities themselves.

Their reasoning goes like this: If the humanities can demonstrate their usefulness-—for example, by proposing the “correct” U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union or developing the “best” plan for nuclear weapons—then the humanities will gain the support of parents, students, academic administrators, government officials, foundation executives, union leaders, and other citizens. There will be more money for the humanities from public bodies as well as from private institutions, more humanities courses, more students registering for those courses, more humanities centers and institutes, more general-audience programs in the humanities, and more jobs for humanities professionals.

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William J. Bennett

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Ronald Reagan

In recent years, there has been a great deal of talk about the humanities and their relevance to questions of public policy. Much of this talk has come from people who believe that the direct application of the humanities to public policy will not only illuminate political issues, but will also justify and strengthen the humanities themselves.

Their reasoning goes like this: If the humanities can demonstrate their usefulness-—for example, by proposing the “correct” U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union or developing the “best” plan for nuclear weapons—then the humanities will gain the support of parents, students, academic administrators, government officials, foundation executives, union leaders, and other citizens. There will be more money for the humanities from public bodies as well as from private institutions, more humanities courses, more students registering for those courses, more humanities centers and institutes, more general-audience programs in the humanities, and more jobs for humanities professionals.