Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 15, No. 154.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 07:05:12 +0100
From: lachance@chass.utoronto.ca (Francois Lachance)
Subject: Re: 15.095 what computing humanists need to know, cont.
Willard,
I do believe that the thread on the development of a humanities computing
curriculum was spinning toward what you have called the "shopping-list
stage". I was wondering if the survey-course you propose become the core
of the curriculum could be fashioned along a research course into the
history of humanities computing and related disciplines. I know you
suggested that although they may not aim to publish in _Mind_, students be
exposed to the great philisophical questions raised by the practice and
theory of humanities computing. Might not such a course be constructed out
og research assignments such field work in the anthropological genre
of the the interview with key figures of humanities computing or archival
work in combing the working papers of committees and projects?
For example, _Monist_ sponsored some interesting discussions in
the mind 1990s and this bit of the historical record deserves to be read
agains other bits.
This is of course a plea for learning by observation to be valued as much
as learning by doing. It is with a certain measure of irony that such a
plea is able to call upon the behaviourist B.F. Skinner:
<cite> There is no reason why methods of discovery must be taught by the
discovery method. Learning the techniques of others does not interfere
with the discovery of techniques of one's own. One the contrary, the
artist who has acquired a variety of techniques from his [sic]
predecessors is in the best possible position to make truly original
discoveries.
</cite>
from "Creating the Creative Artist"
in _On the Future of Art_
New York: Viking Press, 1970
p. 68
In a paraphrase of Edward Fitzgerald's adaptation of Omar Khayam,
humanities computing students (and teachers) need a project, a thread and
a forum.
the project like the loaf of bread is a daily bit of sustenance
the jug of wine like the thread leads one out of oneself
and the forum and the friend remind us when to bake again and tend to the
vine
-- Francois Lachance, Scholar-at-large http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~lachance 20th : Machine Age :: 21st : Era of Reparation
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