are the humanities? They include philosophy in all its branches (such as ethics, logic, and epistemology - the theory of knowledge), the languages, literature in all its varied aspects, music, the fine arts, the decorative arts, the arts of the theater. Certain aspects of anthropology and folklore are of interest to humane learning. So are many of the philosophical aspects of science and the social sciences (11).
By this definition, the humanities can be made to include a broadly diverse body of knowledge, in part because the discipline is not necessarily about specific information but is instead about the way such information is processed, analyzed, and understood.
History is also important to the humanities, especially in its ability to provide context and perspective, as Jones observes:
So far as the writing of history is the product of art, it belongs with literature and therefore with the humanities. So far as the interpretation of history rests upon philosophical assumptions about man, human nature, and the purpose, principles, or patterns in history, history belongs with the humanities by partaking of the character of philosophy . . . But the humanities depend for their very existence upon perspective in time, so that history is the essence of their being (12).
This past-oriented view may be the most important element in defining what the humanities are. The Commission on the Humanities observes, "The humanist, usually oriented toward the study of the past, serves as an articulated cultural memory. The scientist and technician, primarily oriented toward the present and future, look at what is given in and expected of the natural order" (15). The humanist's perspective is primarily analytical, seeking an understanding of what has come before. While the humanities can provide understanding of contemporary arts and culture, that understanding is framed by the arts and culture that have already been created.