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CrisisoftheHumanitiesIITheNewYorkTimes

CrisisoftheHumanitiesII
ByStanleyFish

October18,20108:30pm

StanleyFishoneducation,lawandsociety.

Theoutpouringofpassionate,learnedandthoughtfulcommentsin
responsetomycolumnaboutthedemiseofFrench,Italian,Russian,classics
andtheateratSUNYAlbanyisatestimonytotheholdtheideaofthe
humanitieshasonsomanyinoursociety.Therespondentsmakeanumberof
points,buttwoaremaderepeatedly:(1)Thehumanitiesnotonlypayfor
themselvesbuthelpfundthesciencesand(2)Idismisstraditional
justificationsofthehumanitiesthetransmissionofthebestthathasbeen
thoughtandsaid,thehumanitiesenhancesociety,andsoonyoucouldrecite
theminyoursleepbutImyselfeitherhavenothingtoofferorendby
offeringaweakversionofwhatIhavedismissed.
Theposterswhomaketheargumentforthesolvencyand(forced)
institutionalgenerosityofthehumanitiescitethreeessays,onebyRobert
WatsonandtwobyChristopherNewfield.
WatsonsbriefpieceinUCLATodaysayseverythinginitstitle:Bottom
LineShowsHumanitiesReallyDoMakeMoney.Watsonsthesisisthatthe
tuitionrevenuesgeneratedbyhumanitiescoursesexceedthecostofmounting
themand,ratherthangivingthesurplusfundsback,university
administrations(whichcollecttherevenuesandputthemintoabigpot)
redistributethemtothesciencesandelsewhere.Asaresultandhere

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WatsonisquotingJaneWellmandepartmentslikeEnglisharepayingfor
thechemistrymajor.(Imadethesameargument,completewithelaborate
chartsandoverhead,tomyprovostwhenIwasdeansixorsevenyearsagoI
didntgetanywhereforreasonsthatwillemergeinamoment.)
TheshorterofthetwoNewfieldessays,inAcademeOnline,comestothe
sameconclusion:...EnglishandSociologymakemoneyontheir
enrollments,spendalmostnothingontheirlargelyselffundedresearch,and
then...actuallyhavesomeoftheirprofitsfrominstructiontransferredto
helpfundmoreexpensivefields.
Myfirstreactiontothisistosay(withHemingway),Isntitprettyto
thinkso?,andmysecondreactionistoreporttoyoutheconversationsIhave
hadinthepastweekwithdeans,provostsandpresidentsatfourlargepublic
universitiessituatedindifferentpartsofthecountry.Thepicturetheypaintis
complexandhassomethingoftheaspectofakaleidoscope.Therearesomany
variablesthatanicecleanaccountofthematterwillalwaysbean
oversimplification.
Thekey(anddisastrous)variable,asMarkYudof,presidentofthe
UniversityofCalifornia,explainsinaresponsetoWatsonintheChronicleof
HigherEducation,isthewithdrawalbythestatesfromthefundingofhigher
education.Becausetheshrinkingpoolofstatedollarsdoesnotcoversalaries
andotherinstructionalcostsandbecausethehumanitiescannotcounton
heavyinfusionsoffederalresearchdollarsasthesciencescan(anywherefrom
$100milliontoabillion),thereisashortfallthehumanitieshavenowayof
makingup.Achemistryprofessorwhosesalaryisonlypartlyfinancedbythe
statecangooutandgetfederaldollarstopaytherestandmoreahumanities
professorcant.
ThecalculationsWatsonandNewfieldcomeupwithmightmakesensein
asmallprivateliberalartscollegewithhightuition($45,000asopposedto
$4,500)andrelativelyinexpensivefacilities,orinabygoneerawhenstate

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supportwasat70percentor80percent(itsnowaslowas7percent).Ifthe
stateispayingmostofthebillsasitoncedid,tuitioncanbelowbecauseitis
notbeingaskedtocarrytheburdenoftheoperationbuttoday,whentuitionis
stilllow(relativetocosts)andthestateiswalkingawayfromitsobligations
everfasterandexpensesclimbeverhigher,themathwontwork.Nomatter
howpopularhumanitiescoursesmaybe,theydontpaytheirwaybecausethe
revenuetheygenerateininadequatetuitiondollarsisonlyaportionofwhatis
required.(Magazinessometimesfoldeventhoughtheircirculationisquite
hightheadvertisingrevenuesdontmeettheproductioncosts,sothemore
unitssold,themoremoneylost.)
Thisiswheresoftmoneyfundsnotbudgetedorrecurring
sometimescomesinifitis(fitfully)available.Andwherewillitcomefrom?
Fromthesciencesor,rather,fromtherevenuesthesciencesbringin,someof
which,likeindirectcostrecoveries,canwithabitofadministrativeingenuity
beusedtoshoreupthehumanities,forawhile.Soifthereissomecross
subsidization,itisusuallynotinthedirectionWatsonandNewfieldsuggest,
exceptperhapsinthosedepartmentsthatdeliverinstructioninverylarge
classesatverylowcost,asEnglishdepartmentsusedtodowhensurvey
courseswererequiredbythemajorandthesamecoursesfulfilledmultiple
distributionrequirementsforallstudentsinacollege.(Thosewerethedays.)
Thebackandforthqualificationsinmyprevioustwosentencesunderline
apointonedeanmadetomeinourconversation.Itjustisntthecase,hesaid,
thatanygroupsupportsanyothergroupinanystraightforwardway.
Besides,asYudofandthesenioradministratorsItalkedtomakeclear,all
theseclaimsandcounterclaimsaboutwhoissupportingwhomaremuchado
aboutnothinggiventheelephantintheroomtheshrinkingofpublic
supportof(supposedly)publichighereducation.Posterswhowonderedwhy
thecorporatemodel,alongwiththevocabularyoftheuniversityasabusiness,
hasbecomesoentrenchedneedonlylooktotheinexorableeconomicsofthe
situation.Starvedforcashandinundatedbystudents,whatareuniversitiesto

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do?
Thereseemtobeonlytwocoursesofaction,aggressivefundraising(once
rareinthepublicuniversitysector,nowrequired),andacost/benefitanalysis
thatsubstitutesbottomlinequestionsforquestionsaboutintellectualand
disciplinaryvalue.Inthecontextofsuchananalysis,programswithafew
majors,littleornoexternalfundingandsmallexpensiveclassesclassics,
theater,Italian,French,Russianarelikelytargetsofanadministrationthat
feelsitselfcaughtinabind.
Tobesure,thereareinternalthingsthatcanbedoneandarebeingdone
atsomeuniversities.Youcanreinstitutestringentdistributionrequirements,
mountlargelectureclasses,consolidatesmallprogramsintoonelargeunitso
astosaveonadministrativecosts,integratehumanitiesinstructionwiththe
socialsciencesandsciencessoastohighlighttheirrelevancetorealworld
problems.
Buttheseandothermeasures(increasingteachingloads,encouraging
earlyretirement,furloughs,takingawaytelephonesandtravelbudgets)will
onlybestaysagainstthedisasterthatisalwaysloominggiventhepresent
economicmodel.ThebettercoursewouldbetheoneNewfieldurges,a
restorationofstrongpublicfunding,thatis,ofthemodelthatmadethe
UniversityofCaliforniaandotherstatesystemsgreatinthefirstplace.
Buthowisthistobebroughtabout?aquestionthatreturnsustothe
bigquestionraisedattheendoflastweekscolumn.Whatjustificatory
argumentshaveachanceofworkingwiththerelevantconstituencies?
Itdependsonexactlywhatyouaretryingtojustify,andhereIwould
invokeadistinction(introducedbutnotexplainedinthefirstcolumn)
betweenhumanitiesactivityinthegeneralculturereadinggroups,regional
theater,poetryslams,concerts,dancefestivalsandtheacademicstudyof
thehumanities.Theyarenotthesamething,apointmadenegativelybyTom
whenhesaysthatfarmorepeopleconsumethefineartsandliterature[than]

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did100yearsago...butmostchoosetodosoaspartofalifetimeoflearning
ratherthanthroughintensivestudy.
Inotherwords,wealreadyhaveandenjoythehumanitiesApparently
FishhasnotheardofthemanyShakespearefestivalsheldaroundthecountry
(HRCoursen)sowhydoweneedanarmyofresearcherscountingangels
ontheheadofapin?Ratherthanengagingstudentsonuniversalquestions,
Humanitiesdepartmentsinsteadhavedevolvedintopointlessinternalbattles.
..thatservenooneotherthanthemselvesinshorttheHumanitiesareno
longerabouthumanity(Elsie).dikrantulainenailsthepoint:An
intellectualsHamletdates.Minedoesnt.
Exactly.TheHamletyouenjoyasareaderoraplaygoerisonethingthe
Hamletlaidoutandetherizeduponanacademicstableisanother.Thefirst
needsnodefense.Thesecondcannotbedefendedbythesamemeasuresthat
leaddikrantulainetovaluehisHamlet.Thereisnoreasonthatnon
academicsshouldunderstandorappreciatetheacademicanalysisofthe
aestheticproductionstheylovewithnoacademichelpatall.Themistakeisto
thinkthatthelineofjustificationshouldgofromthepleasuremanyderive
fromplays,poems,novels,films,etc.,toapersuasiveaccountofhowacademic
workenhancesorevenproducesthatpleasure.Itmayormaynot,butifit
does,thatsanaccidentalbenefit.
Therealbenefitisexperiencedbythescholarswhoworkinafieldandare
excitedbyanewargumentoranewproofandbythescholarsinneighboring
orevendistantfieldswholookoverandseeamodeloravocabularythatwill
helpthemnegotiateanimpasseintheirwork.(Thisiswhathappenedtothe
rarifiedlinguistictheoryofathenobscureresearchernamedNoamChomsky.)
Therealbenefit,inshort,isinternaltotheenterprise,andsomustbethe
justification.
Whenitcomestojustifyingthehumanities,thewrongquestionsarewhat
benefitsdoyouprovideforsociety(Imnotdenyingtherearesome)andare

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youcosteffective.Therightquestionishowdoyouthatis,yourprogramof
researchandteachingfitintowhatwearesupposedtobedoingasa
university.Asauniversityisthekeyphrase,foritrecognizestheuniversity
asanintegralunitywithitsownhistory,projectsandgoalsgoalsthatattimes
intersectwiththemoregeneralgoalsofthecultureatlarge,andattimesdont
butwhethertheydoordontshouldntbethebasisofdecidingwhethera
programdeservesaplaceintheuniversity.
InsteadaskwhatcontributioncanaknowledgeoftheRussianlanguage
andRussianculturemaketooureffortsinFarEasternstudiestounderstand
whatisgoingoninChinaandJapan(theansweris,abigcontribution).Ask
woulditbehelpfulforstudentsinchemistrytoknowFrenchorstudentsin
architectureandengineeringtoknowtheclassics(youbetitwould).Andas
fortheinsandoutsofFrenchtheorycasuallyvilifiedbysomanyposters
dontaskwhatdoesitdoforthemaninthestreet(preciouslittle)askifits
insightsandstyleofanalysiscanbeappliedtothehistoryofscience,tothe
puzzlesoftheoreticalphysics,topsychologysanalysisofthehumansubject.
Inshort,justifyyourselvestoyourcolleagues,nottothehundredsofmillions
ofAmericanswhoknownothingofwhatyoudoandcouldntcarelessand
shouldntbeexpectedtocaretheyhaveenoughtoworryabout.
Buthowdoesajustificationsoradicallyinternalhelpauniversity
presidentwhenheorshegoestothelegislatureaskingformoney?Theanswer
isthattheadministratormustsellthejustification,andnotfallintotheerror
ofacceptingthejustificatorystructurefocusedonexternalyieldsofthose
whocallthemonetarytune.Makeavirtueofthefactthatmanyprogramsof
humanitiesresearch(andnotonlyhumanitiesresearch)havenodiscernible
product,bringnomeasurablebenefits,arenottimesensitive,mayneverreach
fruitionand(insomecases)areonlyunderstoodby500peopleintheentire
world.Explainwhatauniversityisandhowitsconventionsofinquiryarenot
answerabletothedemandswerightlymakeofindustry.Turnanaccusation
youguysdontdeliveranythingwecanrecognizeintoabannerandholdit

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aloft.(Atleastyoullsurprisethem.)
Andasyoudothis,dropthedeferentialpose,leaveoffbeingapetitioner
andasksomepointedquestions:Doyouknowwhatauniversityis,andifyou
dont,dontyouthinkyoushould,sinceyouremakingitsfundingdecisions?
Doyouwantauniversityaninstitutionthattakesitsplaceinatradition
datingbackcenturiesordoyouwantsomethingelse,atradeschool
perhaps?(Nothingwrongwiththat.)Andifyoudowantauniversity,areyou
willingtopayforit,whichmeansnotconfusingitwithaprofitcenter?Andif
youdontwantauniversity,willyoufessupandtellthecitizensofthestate
thatyoureabandoningtheacademicenterprise,orwillyoukeeponmouthing
thepietieswhilewithholdingthefunds?
Thatsnotthewaysenioracademicadministratorsusuallytalktotheir
politicalmasters,buttryityoumightjustlikeit.Anditmightevenwork.God
knowsthatthedefensivepleasesircouldwehavemoreposturedoesnt.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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