Humanities and the Recession

The humanities have had a rough time lately. It seems that when hard economic times roll around, the humanities are the first lines to get shaved out of the budget. You have to wonder if, when times are better, those lines will be restored or increased in any capacity. This is a loss in more ways than one. Obviously, less money to the arts and humanities means fewer artistic creations and performances, which is regrettable, but what about the long term implications?

When I was much younger, I remember going to a concert of The Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, in my hometown of West Palm Beach. (Ironically, the Florida Phil has since gone under). This was shortly after the September 11th, 2001 attacks, and everyone in our great country was still very much in mourning. During the concert, the conductor addressed the audience and spoke of the place of the arts in times such as these. The conductor mentioned that, in times of war, some critics question the importance of the arts and say that they offer no solutions in the face of such serious matters. This comment was met with sounds of discomfort from the audience. The conductor went on to say that this sort of thinking should be challenged. There is a reason that the humanities are called such – they are what make us human. In times of national need and mourning, we need to get in touch with our humanity more than ever. Using the arts as a channel, we must get back in touch with our friends and our family, as well as ourselves. Now that we are in another crisis of an economic nature, I believe that this need of the humanities still stands.

I think this argument for the importance of the arts and humanities can even be taken a step father. Beyond the individual, there is a societal need for the humanities. One of the things that strikes and disturbs me most about this recession is that not too many people seemed to see it coming. A few economists and political advisors raised a red flag, but obviously not enough to really make a difference. That is alarming. All these economists and social scientists, and people with intellectual capacities off the charts, yet we, as a society, were not able to stop this or even predict it? So much for economic forecasting. Yet, when you look at the arts, they are often ahead of the curve. Authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald denounced materialism before the Great Depression gave us a tangible record of its damage. Stravinsky and his contemporaries foreshadowed the First World War by introducing a sense of chaos into music. Even Hollywood seemed to take up the fight against McCarthyism before Capitol Hill did. The arts have always had a prophetic power.

I am not saying that composers should replace economists, but I do believe that the predictive ability of the humanities holds a valuable place in our society. Instead of restricting the influence of the arts when times are tough, perhaps we should be looking to this influence for guidance.

Although pulling out a pocket book is only one of many ways to attack the problem of the diminishing significance of the humanities in our lives, I would be remiss if I didn't mention it. "Sometimes cutting back just isn't an option", one of the slogans of the BSO's recent funds drive, fits in rather nicely with the point's I'm presenting.