Humanities

Dear Students and Families,

When describing the goals that shaped his work, the seventeenth-century philosopher Benedict Spinoza remarked: “I have labored carefully not to mock, lament, or execrate, but to understand human actions.”

This project—to understand human actions in the fullness of their origins, development, and consequences and to comprehend the dynamic world of ideas and sensibilities that inspires and is inspired by them—lies at the heart of the Humanities. To allow the myriad and diverse voices from the past to speak and to enable us to see through others’ eyes (if only partially), we draw on many disciplines and forms of human expression: from historical documents to religious and philosophical writings to literature to works of art and performances. Such humanistic inquiry requires a unique blend of the skills of observation, analysis, interpretation, imagination, empathy and criticism. Our work teaches us how to examine and interpret small details to gain larger insights, to see the variety that exists within categories and generalities, to dismantle stereotypes and understand their making, and to trace ideas and actions back to their origins and forward to their effects. It requires and cultivates patience, curiosity about difference, and empathy.

The Humanities cultivate our awareness of the many factors and forces that shape the actions and beliefs of individuals or groups at a single moment or over time. Most of all, they strengthen our capacity to enter into the lives and thoughts of others so as to understand more fully, subtly, and sympathetically “what makes them tick,” a capacity that ultimately helps us be and do better in every aspect of our lives today.

In the Humanities Session of the Carleton Summer Liberal Arts Institute, we will develop these skills through multidisciplinary exploration of Modes of Knowing, Sites of Encounter: Exploring the Human through Text, Image, and Performance

With my colleagues Zaki Haidar in Arabic Language and Literature, Pierre Hecker in English,  and Jacqueline Lombard in Art History and with contributions from Victoria Morse in the History of Mapmaking, we will explore together the ways in which people sought and conveyed knowledge and grappled with doubt, difference, and uncertainty in their texts, on their theatrical stages, and in their images and objects. Through writing, performance, and representation, people created moments of encounter with ideas and realities of power and order; different times and cultures; and values and sensibilities. Sometimes, these encounters served to express and to reinforce ideas and identities, but often they served as means to criticize assumptions and the status quo and to explore–if only for a moment–other possibilities.

In the four research strands, we will examine closely primary sources (in translation), including works by English playwright William Shakespeare (and their modern adaptations and stagings); the writings of Florentine political advisor Niccolò Machiavelli and French jurist and philosopher Michel de Montaigne; modern novels about medieval worlds; and medieval and Renaissance art objects. Through our discussions, we will seek to understand the complex connections between vision, performance/experience, knowledge, and truth and the ways in which people have used texts, images, and performance to encounter new and different ideas and realities. We will see how human beings have used drama, history, literary fiction, and the visual and scientific arts to understand, control, and challenge their world.

Over the three weeks of the Institute, each student chooses a research cohort and, in that context, develops and presents a guided research project in History (including philosophical and political topics), Literature, Theater, or Art History. You will learn to use techniques of research, interpretation, and presentation that are essential to achieve the goals of humanistic research: to understand with depth and complexity the nature of human thought, action, and expression and to convey this understanding to others. Along with the research strand, all students in the Humanities Session will participate in activities that will give them focused experiences in work and insights offered by other materials and perspectives as well as a shared set of experiences with and discussions of texts, image, and performance. Supplementary presentations and field trips round out the program activities.

Supporting the students in one-on-one, small group, and full class settings will be both the program faculty–each of whom works with no more than 15 students–and advanced Carleton students who provide additional guidance and mentoring in their cohorts as well as resources for the realities of college life.

We look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Bill North
Professor of History and Director of the SLAI Humanities Program

Summer Carls can earn up to six Carleton course credits (typically transfers as three semester credits) for successfully meeting faculty expectations and completing course requirements. In addition to receiving written feedback about course performance from faculty, students will receive one of the following three possible grade designations: satisfactory (S), credit (Cr), or no credit (NC). Formal academic transcripts are available upon request for Summer Carl alumni and will reflect the name of the course and grade earned.

Of the multiple course topics listed on this page, Summer Carls will explore some topics in morning classes and one topic in an afternoon research group.

View SLAI’s Academic Structure Guide to learn more about how you can shape your program experience to fit your interests this summer.

Each applicant to the Humanities Program must submit a writing sample along with their online application. The writing sample must be submitted during application process and an application will not be considered complete without the writing sample.

The writing sample should be a recent sample of your best academic writing for review by the Humanities Program Admissions Committee. Your writing sample should be a minimum of two pages long, typed and double spaced. The essay may be on any topic of your choice and should be of an academic nature. While not required, we suggest a literary analysis or research paper. If you have questions about the qualification of a writing sample please contact our office.         

When uploading the document to your application please note the following are supported file formats: .txt (plain text); .doc or .docx (Word); or PDF (portable document file).