Defining the Humanities: How Rediscovering a Tradition Can Improve Our Schools : With a Curriculum for Today's Students [Hardcover]

Robert E. Proctor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1998

"Think of this as 'The Thinking Man's Bloom' or 'The Thinking Woman's Closing of the American Mind.' It takes up debates about education and reasons about them, where Bloom often only blasted away...This is one of the more helpful recent statements of the case for the classics, accompanied by rather venturesome curricular suggestions." - "Christian Century". "For the first time, in my estimation, has a scholar succeeded in showing the relation of humanistic studies to the personal and social life of the ancient world and of the Renaissance. He ...indicates the possibilities of bringing back an effective relationship between what is taught in our colleges and universities and the ethical perspectives of their graduates." - Charles Trinkaus. "'A Curriculum for Today' is a splendid statement bringing together in a careful and coherent way the prospects for a solid humanities curriculum." - Ernest L. Boyer. "Proctor's book is consistently engaging, scholarly, and humane ...an excellent place to begin discussions of the role of the university and the place of liberal education within it." - "Teaching Sociology". "...a stimulating treatment of a profoundly important subject, which addresses fundamental questions about the moral purpose of education in the humanities. " - "Speculum". " ...a splendid analysis of the history of the humanities. Its virtues are multiple...It is profound in its induction, stimulating in its aims and purposes, and a book to be weighed carefully by scholars of the humanities, historians, and teachers in liberal arts programs and humanities studies." - "The History Teacher". "His exciting readable book calls for a return to a study of the classics - and of the Renaissance poets and scholars, like Petrarch, who rediscovered the classics." - Michael Dirda, "Washington Post Book World". Ten years ago when this book was first published it was called Education's Great Amnesia: Reconsidering the Humanities from Petrarch to Freud. It is being reissued now with a different title for a new generation of readers who cannot have forgotten what they never knew. What are the humanities? Can we agree on a core curriculum of humanistic studies? Robert Proctor answers these questions in a provocative, readable book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Think of this as 'The Thinking Man's Bloom' or 'The Thinking Woman's Closing of the American Mind.' It takes up debates about education and reasons about them, where Bloom often only blasted away... This is one of the more helpful recent statements of the case for the classics, accompanied by rather venturesome curricular suggestions." Christian Century "His exciting readable book calls for a return to a study of the classics - and of the Renaissance poets and scholars, like Petrarch, who rediscovered the classics." Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World " ... a splendid statement bringing together in a careful and coherent way the prospects for a solid humanities curriculum." Ernest L. Boyer "For the first time, in my estimation, has a scholar succeeded in showing the relation of humanistic studies to the personal and social life of the ancient world and of the Renaissance. He...indicates the possibilities of bringing back an effective relationship between what is taught in our colleges and universities and the ethical perspectives of their graduates." Charles Trinkaus " Curriculum for Today is a splendid statement bringing together in a careful and coherent way the prospects for a solid humanities curriculum." Ernest L. Boyer "Proctor's book is consistently engaging, scholarly, and humane ...an excellent place to begin discussions of the role of the university and the place of liberal education within it." Teaching Sociology "...a stimulating treatment of a profoundly important subject, which addresses fundamental questions about the moral purpose of education in the humanities." Speculum " ...a splendid analysis of the history of the humanities. Its virtues are multiple... It is profound in its induction, stimulating in its aims and purposes, and a book to be weighed carefully by scholars of the humanities, historians, and teachers in liberal arts programs and humanities studies." The History Teacher --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Robert E. Proctor is Professor of Italian at Connecticut College, where he has also served as Provost and Dean of the Faculty, and as Founding Director of the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts. He has been a Fellow of Villa I Tatti, the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence, Italy, and of the National Humanities Institute at Yale University.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: Indiana Univ Pr; 2nd edition (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253334217
• ISBN-13: 978-0253334213
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,761,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars conversation with the past, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Defining the Humanities: How Rediscovering a Tradition Can Improve Our Schools, Second Edition With a Curriculum for Today's Students (Paperback)

I don't know how helpful this book would be for someone developing a "curriculum for today's students", but it is an easily readable introduction to some influential characters in the history of Western civilization. For those who do not know Petrarch and Cicero, this book provides insight into their personal lives and thought processes. The ideas of the book are clearly laid out, at times too clearly, with many quotes and repeated concepts. The history of the humanities and past definitions are revealed, as well as thoughts about how the humanities and the liberal arts can be defined today. More than providing a clear cut definition of modern humanities, this book makes the reader think about his or her personal definition. It will also get you thinking about your position within the universe and time. Not many books can do that!