My roommate will hate me for writing this, but it really should be said. Every student on this campus ought to take the four-course Humanities Sequence (HUM 216-219), Princeton's best method of introducing its undergraduates to 26 centuries of the ...(back to the article)
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You could make the same argument for the compulsory attendance to the 2-year Integrated Science course. May I remind you that the true humanists you are talking about, in the spirit of Descartes and Leibniz, were as preoccupied with the natural and physical sciences as with philosophy and literature? Quantum physics is a fascinating descriptive idea of the world, on par with Husserl's transcendental phenomenology as far as being a part of the Western ethos you are so fond of, but I know very little humanities majors that would be happy if it was made mandatory. The compulsory nature of your idea destroys any possibility of creating a "liber" man as you say. I think that Princeton students are mature enough to make their own choice and create their own curriculum. Departmental requirements are only a sampler, so that this choice can be more educated, but it is very possible to bypass them if so desired. All in all, true humanism will come to anyone disposed to explore a field that is very different from the one he (or she) usually evolves in. Your argument is bland and unidirectional and I hope you do not make the same mistake in your academic choices.
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As a disillusioned HUM sequencer, I feel that the HUM sequence sounds great, if not amazing, on paper, but delivers poorly in practice. It may claim to present works in a "seamless, interconnected weave", but the presentation is fragmentary at best. As a student who sought integration but received fragmentation instead, the HUM sequence leaves much to be desired. Perhaps I was silly to seek integration of ideas. But since fragmentation is the best that one can receive, I suggest that students make their own personal HUM sequence with classes in art, literature, and history that interest them, instead of taking the time-consuming, overwhelming attempt - but ultimate failure - of HUM.
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Silly freshman.
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I was a math major and I think that taking HUM 216-217 during my freshman year was the best course selection decision I ever made. It is the best chance at Princeton that non-humanities majors will ever have to study the classics of the western tradition. I think it would be great if more humanities majors would take a serious interest in studying mathematics or engineering to broaden their horizons a little bit. Next time it's offered, take The Magic of Numbers or if you want to take something a little more challenging, take Math 214.
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Agreed with P'10, that calculus and computer science are good things to know. The trouble with the university QR and ST requirement, is that there are few QRs/STs accessible to humanities majors that don't have a reputation for being "joke" classes. (e.g. as numerous reviewers on the student course guide warn, COS126 is a time-consuming class for students who have never tried programming before.) As a "humanities major" who took the equivalent of "MAT201/202" before junior year of high school, it's not exactly easy to find a math class that will broaden my education by falling between the two extremes of an intro math or COS class aimed at potential majors, and a "joke" QR.
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I'd argue, personally, that topics like Calculus and Computer Science have influenced the society we live in today as much or more than Goethe. If we're truly aiming to give everyone a liberal education, every humanities major ought to take COS 126 and up to MAT 201.
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I agree with Princeton Eco. As a Molecular Biology major who has also elected to take numerous philosophy, literature, and foreign language courses, I would argue against Carroll's narrow view of a liberal education. My understanding of evolution, the inner-workings of the living cell, and thermodynamics give more meaning and purpose to my life than any word written by Aristotle, Shakespeare, or Cervantes ever could. That said, I also understand that the Brendan Carrolls of the world have no idea what I'm talking about. So I would never argue that they should be forced to take MOL 214 through CHM 542 or the Integrated Sciences curriculum. You can't learn everything in 4 years, and some of us just like science better.
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Pretentious, faux-intellectualism at its finest! Knowing a convenient 30 second sound bite is quite different from real knowledge or understanding...
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Amen!
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Good point, Brendan
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I'm sure the engineers would be thrilled to have semesters of their already overburdened underclassmen years ruined with an intense course that will never be relevant to them. They elect to take relevant and diverse classes through the distribution requirements, but a required course beyond the idea of a writing seminar (whose program is thoughtful and diverse enough to include topics of scientific interest...) is an unbelievably stupid proposition.
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