The Value of the Humanities: new book by Pembroke Fellow Professor Helen Small

Today sees the publication of a new book by Pembroke Fellow in English, Professor Helen Small: The Value of the Humanities.

This book provides a critical account of the principal arguments used to defend the value of the Humanities. The claims considered are: that the Humanities study the meaning-making practices of culture, and bring to their work a distinctive understanding of what constitutes knowledge and understanding; that, though useful to society in many ways, they remain laudably at odds with, or at a remove from, instrumental use value; that they contribute to human happiness; that they are a force for democracy; and that they are a good in themselves, to be valued 'for their own sake'.

Engaging closely with contemporary literary and philosophical work in the field from the UK and US, Helen Small distinguishes between arguments that retain strong Victorian roots (Mill on happiness; Arnold on use value) and those that have developed or been substantially altered since. Unlike many works in this field, The Value of the Humanities is not a polemic or a manifesto. Its purpose is to explore the grounds for each argument, and to test its validity for the present day. 

Published by Oxford University Press, the book is available to purchase online, and was featured in a recent article in the Times Higher Education Magazine.

You can hear Professor Small talk about her book at Blackwells Bookshop Oxford on Tuesday 15th October at 7pm.  Tickets cost £3 and can be booked directly with the shop on 01865 333623.  See the Blackwells website for more details.