Arts & Culture

Advancing Discovery: Faculty Research in the Humanities—Part II

Friday, May 4, 2018, By Rob Enslin

Scholars have long debated the relationship between science and the humanities.

Some say the differences are cultural, citing the tendency of scientists to focus on questions with clear, definite answers and of humanists to concentrate on the questions themselves—the more unanswerable, the better. Both approaches have merit, says Vivian May, director of the Humanities Center and professor of women’s and gender studies. “At Syracuse, we explore the edges of scientific and humanistic understanding. One informs the other,” she adds.

“Mapping the Heavens” is the second in a four-part series about faculty research in the humanities. Drawing on interviews with prominent scholars, including Syracuse faculty, the article considers how synergies and fresh insights can emerge by bridging scientific and humanistic understanding.