Dean Chris Yeomans Discusses the Value of Humanities Research on “Finding Equilibrium” Podcast
In a recent episode of “Finding Equilibrium: Two Economists on the Future of Higher Education,” Justin S. Morrill Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Chris Yeomans joined Purdue agricultural economist Jay Akridge and economist David Hummels for a wide-ranging conversation about the role of humanities research, public engagement and the future of higher education.
Throughout the discussion, Yeomans reasoned that the humanities help people navigate questions of meaning, ethics, citizenship and culture which are issues that often cannot be answered by science alone.
“Humans live more in the world of meaning than they do in physical objects,” he said. “The number of human problems that you can solve with physics is actually remarkably small versus the number of human problems that you can address with literature, understanding history or getting clearer about political concepts.”
The conversation also explored how humanities scholars are contributing to advances in artificial intelligence, helping society understand, govern and strategically integrate emerging technologies. Yeomans emphasized that the future of AI depends not only on computer scientists, but also on philosophers, historians, political scientists and other humanities scholars who can help answer broader questions about intelligence, ethics and human decision-making.
Reflecting on the future of humanities research, Yeomans closed with a thought from philosopher Immanuel Kant: “Human life is not going to get any less complex. Human beings are not going to get any less funny, tragic, foolish or inspiring. Both the follies and the greatness will continue, giving us new perspectives and new things to study.”
Listen to the full episode: Finding Equilibrium Podcast