Humanly

Abstract

This essay is divided into three parts. The first, “In the Beginning was the Paidéia”, considers the foundations of humanistic education, the genesis of the term humanities, and the concept of liberal education. The second, “In the Middle is the University”, explains the difficulties of the humanities “outside” and “inside” the institution, and argues for a public engagement with the major issues of the contemporary world. The third, “At the End will the Culture be Cubed?”, argues for a convergence of the “two cultures”, the humanities and the sciences, around a third, triple, cubed, reality. The essay concludes by stating the need for a profound renewal of the universities originating in a new sense of their social responsibility. A goal which cannot be achieved without a strong presence of the humanities.