Over the past few decades, the international financiers who call themselves “donors” have discouraged Third World countries from promoting the humanities and social sciences in institutions of higher learning. Their view is that such subjects are irrelevant, if not an outright waste of time, for countries striving to feed and clothe their impoverished populations. Yet human beings are not merely organisms desiring food and clothing; rather, they are also rational and emotional beings whose quality of life is greatly enhanced when these two latter faculties are developed – and this is where the humanities and social sciences come in.
What is more, a mature citizenry, one capable of making intelligent choices, knows its history, social dynamics, fine art, literature, and its philosophical orientation.
Let us therefore resist the forced death of the humanities and social sciences by insisting that our young people have a right to holistic education – not merely training that moulds them into cogs of international capital.
Reginald M.J. Oduor, Ph.D.
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