president, he wanted to remove federal support for ‘intellectual curiosity’. The other reason most people have a problem with the liberal arts is that they have long been tied to elitism and class divides. Today there is an everheightened awareness of these problems, and some feel that the liberal arts perpetuate these divides, rather than tearing them down. But the truth is, in places like America where the liberal arts departments at universities are becoming defunded and increasingly irrelevant, innovative careers in STEM are becoming more and more attractive. Whilst I am in complete agreement that these kinds of skills are important (they make up almost all our modern comforts, after all), why does that mean that the liberal arts get thrown to the wayside? Is there even a reason to root for these subjects or would we be better off without such outdated ideas? Obviously, I’m not in favour of this last option. But when people belittle and talk down to enthusiasts of the arts, it stings, because they assume that we take history or English because it is easier, or because we’re not smart enough to take science or math. However, there are many arguments for taking these subjects. For example, building yourself a political opinion, enough so that you can vote and debate with enough knowledge, does not happen unless you read and think intellectually about today’s landscape. Another reason that liberal arts are viewed disfavourably is because it is almost impossible to quantify the impact and value of these subjects. It is much easier to know how many people bought .
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an appliance you made, versus how many people will be impacted by this writing. Because the influence of STEM on society has found a way to be measured out, and the fact that society has not done the same for the humanities does not mean that they do not impact people. Universities tell you that individuals with ‘hard skills’ (the kind learnt doing STEM and business) are so much more valuable to employers then the ‘soft’ ones a liberal arts degree acquires. However, as computers increasingly take over the technical tasks, companies have started to look for people who can translate this information into a human context. The highly transferable skills that come with a liberal arts education – communication, critical thinking, and creativity – are becoming more sought after. Even STEM students can learn from these skills, as they can help with emotional intelligence, or even just communicating their findings more clearly. One cannot live in a sterilised, white lab forever, and the arts help them apply their skills to real world issues. All kinds of abilities are required to make the world we live in a good place. However, that does not mean that one skill or aptitude is more important or relevant than the other, especially as the world is a constantly changing, shifting place. As Steve Jobs, the late co-founder and CEO of Apple, once said: “It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.”
