Report on the International Symposium “What is the Crisis in the Humanities?”

 

On February 3, 2018, an international symposium titled “What is the Crisis in the Humanities” was held. At the symposium, academics in the field of Japanese studies considered the issue at hand—against the backdrop of recent times, in which some go so far as to argue that the humanities are unnecessary—from a variety of viewpoints.

The symposium took place in two parts: presentations and a debate. At the start of the event, Professor Sung-si Lee (Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences) gave an opening statement and explained the purpose of the symposium. Afterward, five speakers gave presentations. The presenters and the titles of their presentations given during this first part of the symposium are as follows:

Associate Professor David Lurie “Who are the Humanities for?”

Professor Reinhard Zöllner “Humboldt Never Went to Bologna”

Professor Zhang Xiang “The Humanities and Universal Values: The Case of Humanities Education in Chinese Universities”

Dr. Park Jun-hyeong “Between the Crisis in the Humanities and the Humanities’ Surge in Popularity”

Professor Hsü Hsing-ch’ing “Developments in Studies of the Humanities in Taiwan and their Attendant Problems”

Associate Professor David Lurie (Columbia University & Visiting Associate Prof. at Waseda Univ.) considered the question of for whose benefit the humanities should be studied, bringing the current state of affairs in the US into his presentation. He noted various issues relating to the humanities, including the conditions that young scholars face, methods of presenting researching findings, and the amount of time spent researching by full-time faculty members at universities. Professor Reinhard Zöllner (University of Bonn) described the conditions that obtain today in the field, based on an outline of the history of universities in Europe. First, the professor noted that there is a criticism of the humanities that maintains that the field is unable to meet the demands of the market economy and social policy. He also pointed to the 1999 Bologna Declaration and the effects (such as constraints on innovation) wrought on universities by the document and the way of thinking that it has spawned. Professor Zhang Xiang (Fudan University) related current conditions in China, where there is a preference for STEM over the humanities. He presented his view that the humanities are necessary for fostering the ability among researchers in the natural sciences to make value judgments, despite the difficulty of finding universal values through the humanities. He argued that this necessity also relates to our development as human beings, as well as that the humanities have the potential to contribute to peace in East Asia. Dr. Park Jun-hyeong (University of Seoul) began his presentation with the societal background in South Korea that stemmed from the 1997 involvement of the IMF in the country’s governance. Korean universities are highly reliant on financial support from the government and were forced to accept measures aimed at bolstering competitiveness to resolve the country’s economic crisis. This has resulted in the humanities now being on the verge of a crisis in South Korea. Nevertheless, there has been a massive boom in interest in works relating to the humanities among the general public. Dr. Park thus considered this contradictory state of affairs. Professor Hsü Hsing-ch’ing (Chinese Culture University, Taiwan) began his presentation by describing how a question, for which it is difficult to argue to definitive conclusions, is frequently asked in Taiwan: “Can the humanities contribute anything to local communities?” He also made comments about issues that the humanities face as the number of students majoring the subject declines, including the societal value of the humanities and fostering talent in the field.

Professor Lee Sung-si (Faculty of Arts, Letters and Sciences) moderated the debate part of the symposium. This part began with statements in response to the presentations by two commentators, Dr. Junichi Isomae (International Research Center for Japanese Studies) and Professor Atsushi Nito (National Museum of Japanese History). Dr. Isomae said that the true state of crisis is that there is currently a lack of recognition that there even is a crisis. According to Dr. Isomae, this state of crisis—which could be described as a “self-affirmation of victim consciousness”—can be seen in researchers who overly devote themselves to finding ways of receiving government assistance and thus adopt an attitude of not even considering a confrontational relationship with the state, as well as in the lack of researchers whose perspectives allow them to consider whether they might be missing any sense of foreboding. Professor Nito argued that the boundaries demarcating the humanities as an academic field have always been vague. He then went on to show that the very methods of the humanities have been transforming in recent years because of progress in the physical sciences and technology and that the truth of the “crisis in the humanities” is multifaceted. (For instance, this crisis encompasses problems affecting academia as a whole, rather than just the humanities.) Professor Nito then touched upon what is now required of the humanities. The presenters responded to these comments, and questions and opinions were also submitted by those in attendance at the venue. Among those who spoke were undergraduate students, reaffirming that people of all ages are interested in the conditions affecting the humanities.

The symposium went on considerably longer than scheduled and invited heated discussions; it eventually concluded, the lively atmosphere unabated, with closing remarks by Professor Kazuaki Ueno (Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences).

 

Program:

Opening Remarks  1:00pm- Professor Sung-si Lee (Waseda University)

1:10pm- Dr. David Lurie “Who are the Humanities for?”
1:25pm- Pofessor Reinhard Zöllner “Humboldt Never Went to Bologna”
1:40pm- Professor Zhang Xiang “The Humanities and Universal Values: The Case of Humanities Education in Chinese Universities”
1:55pm-Dr. Park Jun-hyeong “Between the Crisis in the Humanities and the Humanities’ Surge in Popularity”
2:10pm- Professor Hsü Hsing-ch’ing “Developments in Studies of the Humanities in Taiwan and their Attendant Problems”

Discussion I  3:00-3:30pm

Panelist Professor Junichi Isomae (International Research Center for Japanese Studies)
Professor Atsushi Nito (National Museum of Japanese History)

Discussion II (including Q&A)  3:30pm-5:20pm

Closing Remarks  5:20pm- Professor Kimiko Kono (Waseda University)

Sponsors:
MEXT-Supported Program for the Stratigic Research Foundation at Private University
“TheHumanities in Modern Japan and the Asian Cultural Sphere: Crisis and Revitalization in East Asian Humanities”
Waseda University Research Institute for Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Ryusaku Tsunoda Center of Japanese Culture
MEXT-Top Global University Project, Global Japanese Studies Model Unit, Waseda University