Scholarship without humanism is more dangerous than illiteracy

Abstract

It is an expectation from scholars to positively lead exemplary lifestyles following the fact (assumption?) that their intellects have received purification and nurture to identify the ‘good’; and subsequently, walk in the way that leads to the ‘good’. That should be the nature of scholarship for its process enlightens the minds, after which one could be referred to as an intellectual, a scholar. But it is unfortunate that this expectation has not been realized, as scholars, in the process of exercising their scholarship, lose the essence which gears towards humanism, and become beasty in nature. This calls for a re-evaluation of the nature of scholarship and the expectations of scholars. Where has scholarship or scholarly process got it wrong to inculcate the very opposite of what is expected of its onus, in people participating in it? Is the factor responsible for this, in the process, or environmental dependent, or what scholars have constituted as the nature of scholarship? In addressing these questions, this paper finds out that it is the emphasis on living a logical and critical life as scholars, and influences from the intellectual products of scholars, expressed in their philosophies of life, theories and ideologies that have encouraged this opposite development of in humanism. The results or expectations from this paper include: (1) To unravel the already experiencing dangers of this anomaly, (2) To advise scholars to toe more, the way of humanism than the extremist life of criticality and logicality in the process of displaying their scholarship, and (3) To postulate a more humanistic model as an essential scholarly exercise. The paper shall adopt conceptual analysis and a humanistic approach as methods.