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What is the Humanities Center?
As scholars in the humanities and humanistic social sciences at the University of Rochester, we examine human culture in its myriad forms: literature, language, media, philosophy, religion, history, anthropology, visual and performing arts, and much more. We are committed to critical thinking, reasoned discourse, inclusiveness, civility, empathy, and compassion—values that lie at the center of humanistic inquiry and that are essential for a thriving democratic citizenry. The Humanities Center, located in Rush Rhees Library, is our home base for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. We offer programs for faculty, students, and the public. To become an affiliate of the Center and receive emails about our events, contact humanities@rochester.edu.
News & Announcements
HUMANISTS ENGAGING WITH CURRENT SOCIAL CRISES
Beneath many of the coronavirus ethical dilemmas facing Americans lie longstanding inequities in our social structure and failures of social justice, say three ethicists. Read more
Special Issue of "InVisible Culture"
The Humanities Center
Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration
In the Humanities Center, faculty, fellows, students, affiliates, and the public gather to collaborate and create community. Seminars, workshops, lectures, digital projects and other forms of humanistic inquiry animate our beautiful new space in Rush Rhees Library.
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In These Times: A Humanities Program For Today
At a moment when climate change compels us to address the impacts of human behavior on our environment, this semester's segment of “In These Times: A Humanities Program for Today” explores various ways that people throughout history have envisioned their relationships to the natural world. On what basis did a drought seem a sign of God’s displeasure? Did unpopulated land offer an opportunity for spiritual renewal or a resource for the benefit of civilization? In what contexts were the poet, artist, and musician regarded as especially attuned to the sounds and sights of woods and water? Join University of Rochester faculty members to discuss these and other questions, including whether the categories of the human and the natural stand up to philosophical scrutiny altogether. Sessions will also be devoted to the dilemmas of the 21st century.
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departments and programs
With majors and degree programs that incorporate dozens of disciplines.
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humanities clusters
Comprised of hundreds of courses based in Arts, Sciences and Engineering.
Support the Center
Rochester is uniquely positioned to pursue research that spans the arts and humanities. If you would like more information about the humanities at Rochester or the Central New York Humanities Corridor, please contact us.