Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in a Disenchanted Age

The humanities are in a perpetual state of crisis, but this crisis is as old as the humanities themselves. Paul Reitter and Chad Wellmon's book Permanent Crisis offers a critical, historical perspective to help scholars and anyone who cares about the humanities understand the fate of the humanities and find meaning and coherence in the world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2021
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The humanities, often perceived as irrelevant for modern careers and lacking sufficient funding, face a persistent crisis that seems to be driven by the forces of modernization and technological advancement. Universities are increasingly prioritizing academic pursuits that attract grant money and lead to lucrative careers, leaving the humanities behind. However, as Paul Reitter and Chad Wellmon argue in their book "Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in Modern Times," this crisis is not a new phenomenon but rather a reflection of the enduring nature of the humanities themselves.

Today's humanities scholars find themselves facing similar pressures as their nineteenth-century German counterparts. The humanities emerged as a unique field of study that aimed to address crises of meaning and value that threatened other cultural or social goods. The self-understanding of the modern humanities was not merely a response to a perceived crisis but rather an integral part of its mission. By adopting a critical, historical perspective, "Permanent Crisis" offers scholars and anyone interested in the humanities a deeper understanding of the field and a more effective approach to addressing its challenges.

Reitter and Wellmon draw upon ideas from a range of scholars, including Max Weber, Friedrich Nietzsche, Helen Small, and Danielle Allen, to explore the concept of the humanities as a means of finding meaning and coherence in the world. They argue that the humanities have the potential to provide a valuable counterbalance to the dominant modes of thinking in modern society, which are often driven by economic interests and technological progress. Through their analysis, Reitter and Wellmon challenge the notion that the humanities are irrelevant or in decline and instead present a vision for a revitalized and renewed field that can contribute to the betterment of society.

In conclusion, "Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in Modern Times" is a thought-provoking book that offers a valuable perspective on the state of the humanities in modern times. By challenging the notion of a perpetual crisis and presenting a vision for a revitalized and renewed field, Reitter and Wellmon encourage scholars and anyone interested in the humanities to think more critically about the future of the field and its potential to contribute to the betterment of society.

Weight: 602g
Dimension: 163 x 237 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226738062