Technology never ceases to make us feel fragile. Every other week seems to bring another news headline that whispers of our future dream jobs being doomed to digitization, or worse, oblivion. In an age where algorithms can write code faster than you can make your morning coffee, it’s hard not to fear that we are one dreaded update away from social distinction. But, before we fast forward and begin to imagine such a dystopian reality, where our résumé’s are at the mercy of artificial intelligence, and the days of writing with pen and paper are a mere memory, take to heart that the qualities that make us so achingly human can’t be replicated by code.
Ironically labeled as soft skills, it just so happens that such skills form the very core of humanity. Empathy, curiosity, interpretation – none of these are programmed to fit neatly into a spreadsheet. Yet, they are the behaviours that have historically shaped and sustained our communities, relationships, and cultures. Moreover, these are the skills that are often nurtured in practicing humanities degrees. Yet, we still involuntarily bow at the altar of economics and STEM as if efficiency and productivity are the only metric of worth.
Seeking out a humanities degree is to beg the uninvited commentary of “What will you do with that?” The implication supposedly being that Socrates and Shakespeare are charming but wasted in a society run by spreadsheets and numbers. Yet, the irony is that arts students graduate with irreplaceable skills. A student who has studied Chaucer’s literary genius, or wrestled with Aristotle’s Ethics, leaves with more than an understanding of their theories and plot lines.
The ability to find meaning in ambiguity, and to interpret historical texts in a modern climate, are skills beyond the capabilities of artificial intelligence. When companies list ‘communication’ and ‘teamwork’ as desired qualities in candidates, they are asking for the skills born and nurtured in humanities degrees. To analyse literature is to understand empathy, to put yourself in the shoes of another, whose life may be nothing like your own, and understanding it anyway. To study history is to look at the past and realise who it makes us today. Namely, ‘soft’ skills are, in reality, hard to grasp without such a rigorous engagement in the subjects too often dismissed as invaluable.
Long before we had artificial intelligence and algorithms, we were writing epic poetry and carving stories onto stone. Such practices were not merely pastimes, they were ways of remembering and retelling the past and future of those around us. The Renaissance revived art and reshaped society. The Enlightenment saw morality transform the political sphere. In every era, the arts have never been separate from the ‘practical’ functioning of society. In fact, they have been at the forefront. Like it or not – they have been a method of expression long before Twitter rants and Instagram stories existed, whether it be rebellion and resistance, or hope and celebration.
Too often, humanities are treated as secondary to the contributions of society. In a time where efficiency is endlessly worshipped, perhaps the greatest strength we can have right now is slowness; the ability to question and pause rather than rush into easy answers. Undoubtedly, societal expectations push the agenda of economics, business, and STEM as the archetype of functionality in our decidedly corporate world. Clearly, economics, business, and STEM are not irrelevant. If anything, they are vital. But, to say their importance means the dismissal of humanities is to erase and ignore centuries of human expression and development. We have always told stories and created art, not because they were profitable, but because they are essential.