One of the things that I find increasingly troubling about the world today is the extent to which progress has become almost exclusively associated with scientific discoveries, technological advancements, and the ability to produce more in less time using AI. When it comes to Higher Education Learning, the focus has become only on these fields alongside the dry sciences of linguistics. They have become the priority, and we seem to be living in a world that is constantly searching for new ways to make life "mathematically" easier, yet I always wonder why Higher Education (globally) has not given sufficient attention to the very being responsible for all this progress: the human being.
We humans do invest in understanding the universe, developing artificial intelligence, and creating technologies that can perform tasks that were once considered impossible, but how much attention do we actually give to understanding the human mind, the human psyche, the reasons behind human behaviour, and the psychological and cultural forces that shape the way we think, feel, and act? It is rather paradoxical that we continue to expand our knowledge of the world while the study of ourselves, which should be the most essential knowledge to pursue, is increasingly treated as less important than disciplines with more immediate economic or practical outcomes.
That part of the problem seems to lie in the way we have come to define the purpose of education. Universities are increasingly expected to prepare graduates for the "labour market", and thus international educational programs are frequently evaluated according to their "ability to develop professional competencies", support economic growth, and also respond to the changing needs of "the market" still.
These objectives are certainly important, but education should not be reduced to the preparation of individuals who can perform particular jobs or contribute to particular economic systems - like designing products, editing language, teaching language skills, creating tests... etc. Human beings are much more complex than the professional roles that they occupy, and their ability to function effectively in society depends on considerably more than the technical knowledge they acquire. This is why we need to understand ourselves as human beings more. We need to study our nature in terms of the motivations behind our decisions and choices, and develop the ability to understand people whose experiences, beliefs, and personalities differ from our own. Without such understanding, education would not succeed in producing technically competent individuals while neglecting an essential part of what makes them human.
The study of the humanities is significantly important as it trains learners to understand and critically analyze the human psyche. Our actions are never as simple as they may initially appear, and the reasons behind them cannot always be understood through what we see on the surface.
People may behave in ways that contradict their stated beliefs, make decisions that seem irrational to others, or respond to situations according to fears and previous negative or childhood experiences that they themselves may not fully understand. That is because our personalities are shaped by a complicated combination of individual experiences, cultural backgrounds, social expectations, memories, desires, and unconscious or insufficiently examined motivations. This means we are richer and deeper (and more meaningful and impactful too) than just a set of superficial or material tools, techniques or language skills. Understanding ourselves as humans, thus, requires an interest in the complexity that lies beneath its visible manifestations.
This is precisely why the humanities should not be regarded as a secondary area of knowledge - for they provide valuable ways of exploring the human experience and examining the relationship between individuals and the worlds in which they live.
Literature & literary studies, in particular, have a great deal to offer in this respect. When you study literature, you see how difficult it is to regard literary works merely stories written for entertainment or as texts whose value is limited to their rhetorical or thematic qualities. It rather allows us to examine human personalities in ways that are not always possible through our ordinary interactions with others. A novel, for example, can reveal the contradictions within a character's personality, the difference between what a person claims to believe and what they actually do, and the influence of past experiences on present behaviour. A short story can also expose the motivations that individuals attempt to conceal, the desires they struggle to acknowledge, and the conflicts that arise when personal ambitions come into opposition with moral principles or social expectations. These are not insignificant observations. They concern the very nature of human behaviour and the complicated processes through which people become who they are. They were written by humans who observed humans, and are meant to be read by humans who want to understand themselves and the world around them better.
What makes the study of literature especially valuable is that it does not present human beings as simple, predictable creatures whose personalities can be understood through a few familiar labels. Literary characters frequently reveal the limitations of such classifications.
A person who appears generous may be motivated by a desire for recognition, while someone whose behaviour seems cold or indifferent may be responding to experiences that have made emotional vulnerability difficult. A character may possess admirable qualities and still make destructive choices, or may behave in ways that initially provoke disapproval before the circumstances behind those actions become clearer. By following these developments, readers are encouraged to reconsider their first impressions and examine the relationship between behaviour, motivation, and circumstance. The process can teach us something important about the people we encounter outside literature as well: what we see of others is not necessarily sufficient to understand them, and our judgements may reveal the limitations of our own perspectives as much as they reveal anything about the individuals we judge.
This is one of the reasons why I believe that the study of literature should have a more significant place in contemporary education. It provides opportunities to explore different personality types, understand conflicting motivations, and examine the psychological dimensions of human relationships. It also allows readers to encounter experiences that may be far removed from their own, whether in terms of historical circumstances, cultural backgrounds, social positions, or personal struggles. Through such encounters, readers can begin to recognize that their own experiences do not necessarily provide a complete explanation of human nature.
What may appear perfectly reasonable within one cultural context may be interpreted differently in another, and behaviour that seems incomprehensible at first may become more understandable when considered within its psychological and social circumstances. Literature does not automatically make every reader more understanding, of course, but it provides a space in which such understanding can be developed through reflection, interpretation, and a willingness to look beyond immediate appearances.
Perhaps this is particularly important today because we seem increasingly inclined to form opinions about people before making a genuine effort to understand them. We classify individuals according to their social identities, political positions, professional achievements, or the opinions they express publicly, often overlooking the complexity that exists beyond these visible aspects of their lives. We may know what someone believes without understanding why they believe it, or recognize a particular behaviour without considering the experiences that may have contributed to it. The problem becomes even more apparent in an environment where social media encourages immediate reactions and where complicated questions are frequently reduced to simplified arguments. We have become accustomed to responding quickly, but understanding something or someone properly often requires time, patience, and a willingness to reconsider what we initially assumed. These are precisely the habits that the humanities can help cultivate.
I would also argue that the growing importance of artificial intelligence makes the study of the humanities more necessary, rather than less. As technology becomes capable of performing increasingly complex tasks, the question of what human beings should know and understand becomes even more significant.
We need people who can examine the ethical implications of technological development, recognise the cultural assumptions that influence the production and interpretation of knowledge, and question the consequences of decisions that may be efficient from a technical perspective but problematic from a human one. We also need to understand how technology affects our relationships, our perceptions of ourselves, and the ways in which we communicate and construct meaning. These questions cannot be adequately addressed through technical knowledge alone. They require an understanding of human values, cultural differences, historical experiences, and the psychological needs that influence our choices. The humanities can contribute to these discussions by reminding us that technological progress does not take place independently of human beings and that the consequences of innovation must be considered in relation to the individuals and societies affected by it.
For this reason, I believe that universities and international educational programs need to reconsider the position they assign to the humanities. The objective should not be to reduce the importance of scientific or technological disciplines, but to recognize that the development of knowledge becomes incomplete when it is separated from the study of human experience. Students preparing for careers in medicine, engineering, business, technology, or other professional fields would benefit from opportunities to engage with literature, philosophy, history, and cultural studies. Such engagement can help them develop a broader understanding of the people they will eventually serve, work with, lead, or affect through their professional decisions. Similarly, international educational programs that aim to develop leadership, promote intercultural understanding, or encourage cooperation between different societies should recognize that these objectives require more than professional skills. They require an awareness of the historical and cultural circumstances that shape people's perspectives, as well as an ability to understand differences without immediately interpreting them through the limitations of one's own experience.
The humanities also deserve greater attention because their value cannot always be measured according to the immediate economic outcomes that educational institutions are increasingly expected to demonstrate.
Understanding a literary work, questioning a philosophical argument, examining a historical event, or exploring the relationship between culture and identity may not produce an immediately measurable professional qualification, but these activities can contribute to the development of individuals who are more capable of critical reflection and independent judgement. They can encourage us to recognize the assumptions on which our beliefs are based, examine the influence of our cultural environments, and understand why people may interpret the same event in different ways. These are valuable capacities in almost every aspect of life, including professional environments, where misunderstandings, conflicts, and poor decisions may arise from an inadequate understanding of human motivations and interpersonal relationships.
Ultimately, what concerns me is the possibility that we may continue to advance in our ability to understand and manipulate the external world while neglecting the complexity of the human beings who inhabit it.
We may develop more sophisticated technologies, acquire greater quantities of information, and become increasingly efficient in performing particular tasks, yet remain insufficiently prepared to understand our own behaviour, recognize the limitations of our perspectives, or appreciate the experiences of others. The problem is not that humanity knows nothing about itself, but that the study of human nature does not always receive the attention it deserves in the institutions responsible for developing knowledge and educating future generations. This imbalance needs to be addressed if we are serious about the kind of progress we wish to achieve.
The humanities are important because they encourage us to ask questions that cannot be answered through efficiency, productivity, or technical expertise alone. They allow us to examine the human psyche, explore the complexity of personality, understand the relationship between individuals and their cultures, and reflect on the values that influence our decisions. Literature, in particular, offers us an opportunity to look more closely at the different ways in which human beings think, feel, behave, and relate to one another, reminding us that understanding people requires more than observing their actions or categorizing their personalities.
If universities are genuinely committed to education, and if international educational programs aim to prepare individuals for a future that will be increasingly complex and interconnected, then the humanities must be recognized as an essential part of that undertaking. Their study should not depend on whether it can be justified through immediate economic returns, because the ability to understand human beings is itself of fundamental value. We cannot expect humanity to build a better future without making a serious effort to understand the human nature that will ultimately determine what that future becomes.
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