The Interplay between Sciences and Humanities
An Enduring Value of Humanities in a STEM-dominated World
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53449/mk35sm66Keywords:
Arts, humanities, interdisciplinary, Sciences, STEMAbstract
The relevance of the humanities has been gradually overlooked since the late 20th century and has been significantly stifled in the 21st century. Research funding tends to favor the sciences over the arts and humanities. The emphasis of both teaching and learning at all levels of education prioritizes the sciences. This endangers the survival of various aspects of human civilization, such as values, ethics, aesthetics, politics, literature, art, and morality. Moreover, evaluating certain scientific methods and procedures is crucial, as the advancement of science and technology without scrutiny may pose a significant threat to human civilization and existence. In addition, undermining the humanities may also threaten the survival of spirituality and cultural heritage. During the golden age of Islam, both empirical and revealed knowledge were given equal attention and complemented each other, advancing human civilization. Funding should be based on the magnitude of novelty and groundbreaking ideas, as well as creativity and innovation, regardless of whether they originate from the sciences or the humanities. Both knowledge creation and dissemination should follow an eclectic philosophical paradigm to enable flexibility in methodology and integration of ideas, thereby facilitating innovation and creativity. The focus should be on an interdisciplinary approach that appreciates the blending of science with aspects of the humanities, providing rich and holistic perspectives and insights in research and innovation. This is a position paper entirely based on library research, in which the researcher advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation and dissemination.
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