By Max Kagi
Perpetual insecurity about what the future holds means we young people seek the assurance of a pathway leading to a financially reliable future.
We are almost passive in our inclination to follow career suggestions put forward by our parents, teachers, and advisors, if there is any affirmation from them of a meal ticket waiting for us on graduation day. This recent shift of incentive behind our degree choices has led to university studies becoming more synonymous with maximising one’s career prospects. This has resulted in a general rejection and condemnation of courses negatively associated with getting meal tickets. The pursuit of studying humanities has dropped because its perceived inherent value has been reduced in the eyes of many, to the single criterion of job employability. Why study something that won’t get you a job? This poisonous misconception has dwindled appreciation of our beautiful culture and heritage.
I recently finished a double-major in History and Classics and am pursuing Honours in the former. My thesis focuses on the impact of Protestant Reformation theologian John Calvin on the politics and society of his time. Even by the standards of those interested in History, John Calvin and the Protestant Reformation may seem a fringe interest. Having lived five hundred years ago, why would you study him instead of the more recent figures, who are apparently the only figures relevant to contemporary affairs? A wise man, whose name I admittedly no longer recall, once asked me how it is possible to adequately grasp where we are going, if we cannot do the same for where we have been. If we only concern ourselves with delving into the events of the last century, we will lose sight of the legacy cultivated over many millennia leading up to the present. With the Protestant Reformation, we see the breaking of the chains of religious dogma, and the first considerable movement since ancient times towards rationality and the “Age of Enlightenment”. Our civilisation would not possess the benefits it reaps from our social and political frameworks, had our shift towards more rational foundations not occurred – which is based in the specific actions and philosophies of figures such as Calvin.
From pursuing my undergraduate degree, one of the most rewarding things I have gained has been the gift of insight. Having explored the history of our world in all its richness and complexity, I have learned about patterns behind phenomena in the world which I interact with daily and could never have noticed before. During my undergraduate years, I studied Latin and Ancient Greek; I have been rigorously questioned for studying not one, but two dead languages. Latin provides the basis for the entire Romance family of European languages and grants the student of it, a profound understanding of the English language, especially of complex words and phrases that reveal deeper meanings. Immersion in the languages and literature of European antiquity has allowed me to understand the repercussions that certain cultural developments have on a society, the mechanisms of which I can see are still prevalent in modern society.
When you understand how society and culture function, you are prepped for a deeper understanding of current politics, international relations, business, and commerce. Decisions made by individuals and groups, and the tensions existing among them, can be more robustly understood when there is historical, social, and cultural insight. This provides wisdom in innate human behaviour, which is a powerful foundation in grasping the current affairs of any worldly domain.
The mission of every university student should be the broadening of the mind. Our own university’s motto paraphrases this notion; seek wisdom. Too often, students seek at university only the means of establishing a stable career, leaving out all the truly valuable experiences along the way, and discarding valuable insights that seem irrelevant in their current obscurity. These are the insights that lead to wisdom, which creates a strong base for firm rhetoric, guided by a sharp attention to our world. I contend that no degree fosters these attributes better than Arts.