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Podcast: The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast
Episode: Should Universities Dump the Humanities?
Description: In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer and Sam Weaver discuss the humanities "crisis" in American universities. They explain the most common arguments in defense of the humanities, why they are not compelling, and the vital role that these studies play in an individual's life and the culture.
Among the topics covered:
How the humanities curricula shape our intellectual culture;
Why the mere reduction of humanities majors does not necessarily imply a "crisis";
Why learning critical thinking skills is not unique to the humanities;
How the emphasis on "empathy" in the humanities leads to a dangerous relativism;
Why...