01 Approaching the Humanities: What Are the Humanities?

Published

2026-07-13

Entry Point: Life Choices

What is the relationship between the humanities and the natural sciences? What role do the humanities play?

Definition From Ci Hai (Encyclopedia of China)

The term humanities derives from the Latin humanitas, meaning human nature and cultivation. The term came into use in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries.

  • Originally referred to studies concerning human interests, as distinguished from theology.
  • In a narrow sense: Latin, Greek, and classical literature.
  • In a broad sense: the study of social phenomena and cultural arts—including philosophy, economics, political science, history, law, literary studies, ethics, linguistics, and more.

What about the social sciences? They study and explain various social phenomena and their patterns of development.

A definitive definition is difficult to pin down.

Disciplinary Positioning

  • The Humanities
  • The Social Sciences
  • The Natural Sciences

Object of Study: The Human Being

  • Life
    • Natural life
    • Cultural life — the inner world → essence

Human beings collectively create a cultural world, manifested in different ways:

  • Human and Nature: interaction is not direct; humans expand their territory.
  • Human and Society: the outer world → behavior
    • Language, symbols
    • Will
    • …
Type of Life Relationship Disciplinary Focus
Natural Life Human and Nature Natural Sciences
- - -
Cultural Life (Essence) The Humanities
Cultural Life (Essence) – Reflection Philosophy
- - -
Human and Society (Behavior) Social Sciences
Human and Society (Behavior) – The Whole Sociology
  • The Humanities:
    • Explore the essence of the human being.
    • Establish systems of value.
      • Confucius, the Book of Songs (Shijing), and Confucian values.
      • Zhang Zai, the “Four Sentences of Hengqu”.
      • Ethics and modern technology.
    • Shape the spiritual world.
      • The tension between theology and the humanities:
        • Theology: God-centered.
        • The Humanities: Human-centered.

Constituent Elements

  1. Humanities Scholars
    • Works → the author’s individuality and freedom.
  2. Humanistic Spirit
    • Varies across different nations and eras.
    • The driving force behind the development of the humanities.
  3. Humanistic Methods
    • Natural and Social Sciences:
      • Methodology: empirical.
      • Process of attaining truth: minimizing subjective interference with the object to reflect objective reality.
      • Expression: clear and concise.
    • The Humanities:
      • Methodology: non-empirical; experience and contemplation.
      • Process of attaining truth: mutual communication and resonance between subject and object.
      • Expression: emphasizes implicitness.
        • Speculative, poetic.
  4. Humanistic Writings
    • Intellectual achievements.
    • Conditions:
      • Physical carriers.
      • Symbolic notation.
      • Content that explores the connotations of human cultural life.