9.9 Giovanni Salmeri, Perché il sapere umanistico? Due tesi

The aim of this essay is to investigate the causes behind the current crisis of the high education system, with special reference to western countries and the humanities. In the first part, by drawing on the recent studies by Anthony T. Kronman, the author identifies three factors that are endangering universities: (1) making research instead of teaching their main purpose, which entails novelty becoming prominent over truth; (2) focusing on specialization to the detriment of a consideration of the whole and (3) leaving most space to multiculturalism while dropping, at the same time, every classical model. Adopting this way of conceiving universities means abandoning the humanistic education of the young generations. The humanities reacted to this situation either by striving to adapt to such demands or by asserting their peculiar role. It is in this context that we should read the Plea for humanities recently endorsed by several Italian scholars. In the second part of the essay, the author considers the distinction drawn by Charles Percy Snow between the techno-scientific culture and the literary-humanistic one, in order to show its historical origins and to criticize its theoretical premises. Finally, the author argues that valuing the relevance of humanities does not go to the detriment of the scientific ones. Actually, culture can progress only by the harmonious development of both, but for this to be possible, it is necessary to enforce a proper educational system.