Stephen Breyer on why You should Study the Humanities

Here’s an excellent explanation as to the value of the humanities from a NYRoB interview of Justice Stephen Breyer:

It’s true, I’ve always thought that it was not particularly useful to study law as an undergrad. We are only allowed to live one life: it’s the human condition, there’s no escaping it. In my view, only by studying the humanities can we hope to escape this fundamental limitation and understand how other people live. Because literature, history, or philosophy all provide extraordinary windows on the world. Foreign languages, too, are fundamental.