History of Humanities
History
is systematically collected information about the past. When used as the name
of a field of study, history refers to the study and interpretation of the
record of humans, societies, institutions, and any topic that has changed over
time. Traditionally, the study of history has been considered a part of the
humanities. In modern academia, history is occasionally classified as a social
science.
The
study of the humanities can be traced to ancient Greece, as the basis of a
broad education for citizens. A major shift occurred with the Renaissance
humanism of the fifteenth century, when the humanities began to be regarded as
subjects to be studied rather than practiced, with a corresponding shift away
from the traditional fields into areas such as literature and history. In the
20th century, this view was in turn challenged by the postmodernist movement,
which sought to redefine the humanities in more egalitarian terms suitable for
a democratic society.
