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Do you know what Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Isaac Newton have in common? Well, we obviously value them for being great and accomplished men who impacted the lives of many (then and now); our perspective and knowledge of the world wouldn’t be the same if not for their intellect, curiosity, and findings – such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine (also known as the “ornithopter”) that inspired construction of modern planes. But the list doesn’t end here.
Apart from knowing them as great inventors of their time, we could assign them another term – The Renaissance man. Maybe you remember from history lessons that this term doesn’t solely mean that someone was born in the artistic period Renaissance; bur rather a Renaissance man means a person who is knowledgeable and accomplished in many fields (particularly, in very diverse fields of STEM and humanities).
To showcase it better, let’s take a closer look at Leonardo da Vinci, the ultimate Renaissance man. He is not only an author of the famous “Mona Lisa” painting but also a recognized painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, discoverer, mathematician, anatomist, inventor, geologist, philosopher, musician, and writer… Yes, the list is quite long even for the sake of describing who the Renaissance man is.
Given the outstanding achievements of the above-mentioned figures, one would expect that the education system would hold them up as role models, consistently encouraging students to explore various fields of knowledge. And while indeed several subjects are required to graduate, there comes a time when you need to choose a side in this ultimate battle: sciences or humanities.
“The traditional education system often categorizes students into these distinct streams, which can limit their opportunities to develop a well-rounded skill set that integrates both creativity and logical reasoning.”
→ For example, students may often find those thoughts arising “I’m not creative” or “I don’t have a head for numbers”; the school system, instead of inspiring them to broaden their horizons, will do the exact opposite, further fueling these thoughts and expecting specifications of interests/life plans.
From a very young age students are classified either as humanists or scientists. Teachers and guardians often view this categorization as helpful since in their minds it helps to specify the child’s interests, thanks to which one will achieve greater success in the chosen career path; eliminating other possibilities would make it easier to achieve specialization in one field and prevent too frequent changes of mind. Besides, as humans, we really like to label things and put them in separate boxes.
This education style can have a very negative impact as students feel pressured to make a choice; instead of encouraging them to explore a vast array of subject it limits their potential.
What’s interesting, if we step outside of that academic world, it turns out there is no such a thing as division between humanities and sciences; in real life situations they are combined. We are expected to use a wide range of skills that are developed by engaging in both disciplines. As intellectual beings we should strive for developing all: critical, creative, and analytical thinking.
So maybe, after all, the option is to choose both? I have been constantly referring to people from the past to display the benefits of that interdisciplinary approach, but there are plenty of contemporary individuals who are very successful by combining various fields. Such as, Yoko Shimizu, well-regarded contemporary artist as well as biochemist; in her lab she integrates both art and science. She believes that those two, different it seems, areas of knowledge are very similar as “they are extremely creative fields that explore new ideas and break boundaries”. Her work revolves around visualization approach – she is using art to display scientific principles and natural phenomenon that otherwise could not be seen. This way “we can experience all of these beautiful things as art”. In one of her speeches Yoko Shimizu said that:
As early as first class of elementary school, I was a child with deep passion for reading and creating stories. I had that vision of becoming a writer. For years it was the only plan until I started high school and I discovered an unexpected love for mathematics; it may be quite unusual for a high schooler to experience that sudden shift of interests – some view this period as a time of full certainty regarding your future career pathway. Instead I found that my passion for mathematics grew to rival, and sometimes even surpass, my enthusiasm for language-based subjects.
This personal experience exemplifies a common dilemma faced by many young students. My journey shows that our initial assumptions about our strengths and interests can be challenged, and that it’s possible to find joy and excel in seemingly disparate fields.
Through regular engagement with literature and mathematics, I drew some interesting conclusions. We often view reading books as a way to strengthen creativity, while mathematics is seen as a tool to enhance analytical skills. The truth is that both experiences influence each other and develop both skill sets—they just do so in quite different ways. Let’s take literature and mathematics to demonstrate few examples.
Literature
Critical thinking:
Creative thinking:
Analytical thinking:
Mathematics
Critical thinking:
Creative thinking:
Analytical thinking:
Obviously, these are just a few benefits; but I strongly believe there is much more to uncover when it comes to interdisciplinary learning.
This approach to education is vividly present in the School of Humanity’s vision; their curriculum effectively combines various fields of knowledge in order to educate young generation that remains ready for the challenges existing in today’s competitive job market. – “For example, we have seen learners learn geometry through design, improve their emotional intelligence through art, and learn economics by creating a society on Mars.”
Poe is considered the father of modern detective stories, influencing writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. While he’s mainly praised for his rich imagination, deep psychological insights, and poetic writing style, many people tend to forget about his other great achievements. Poe was an enthusiast of logic, cryptography, and the application of mathematical reasoning. Interestingly, the poet’s interest in puzzles and cryptography was so great that he published articles on these topics and even asked his readers to send him complicated ciphers, which each time he managed to solved successfully. In stories like “The Gold-Bug” and “The Purloined Letter,” his enthusiasm for logical thinking and mathematics is clear.
Let’s not forget that Edgar Allan Poe is among the few figures highly regarded for not only his own literary work but also his insightful literary criticism. If you think about it, excelling at both seems rather exceptional, as one demands creativity while the other depends on pure judgment and analysis. It seems fair to assume that his constant engagement with logical puzzles and mathematical problems could have impacted that.
Engaging in both humanities and scientific studies can have a significant positive impact on brain development by stimulating both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This dual engagement can lead to:
Overall, integrating humanities and sciences into one’s education can lead to a well-rounded brain development, equipping individuals with versatile skills applicable in various real-world situations.
“While the sciences teach us how to build things, it is the humanities that teach us what to build and why to build them. And they are equally as important, and they are just as hard.” (Eric Berridge)
In his TED speech entrepreneur Eric Berridge, shares why companies should look beyond STEM graduates when hiring people. According to him, humanists can bring new perspective and creativity to the team; their presence is highly valuable as:
When referring to his own journey, bringing to software company a man with philosophical degree to save the situation, he claims that “it is a classic case: the technologist struggling to communicate with the business and the end user, and the business failing to articulate their needs. I see it everyday”. This is when this “human approach” comes in handy.
It is not just one voice out there. Nowadays, we are facing rapid growth of AI and automatization. And while it may seem that computers are slowly replacing us, it is really not the case. One thing is machines’ and softwares’ ability to do mundane activities, and the other is purely human skills; such as capacity for innovative and creative thinking. It is the part that remains our duty.
There is recent trend in education that seems to be an answer to that modern world challenges. And that answer is STEAM; which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics plus an “A” for arts (drama, writing, film, philosophy, etc.).
The power of STEAM lays in comprehensive approach to education and assuring successful self-development. Engaging with broadly understood art gives students a fresh perspective while developing skills such as leadership, communication and collaboration; these are key when one wants to stand out in today’s competitive job market. Soft skills should grow alongside technical expertise in order to assure effectiveness and innovation of ideas.
In today’s world we need diversity of backgrounds and skills. It is vague to believe that STEMS is the future. The future is to have a team made of people with different degrees. While sciences are structured, humanities are not. Both components are crucial for the process of invention, and creation. We shall not underestimate humanities because without art, music, writing, philosophy… we can’t see prominent future consist of new projects and innovations. Creativity and logic is the best recipe.
