June 29, 2007

The Job of a Humanist

To the Editor:

Lamenting the "crisis in the humanities" is a time-honored tradition. Bruce Robbins recently took up this topic, seeking to emphasize the social relevance of "humanists" and declaring the humanities a "victim" of the privatization and commercialization of public services ("The Scholar in Society," The Chronicle Review, June 8).

Let me preface the following remarks by noting that I am unsure what the term "humanist" really refers to. ... It strikes me as rooted in