"What are the Humanities?" Vocabulary 2025-26

Aesthetic

(adj). pleasing in appearance

Apolloninan

(adj). harmonious, measured, ordered, or balanced in character

Dionysian

(adj). of or relating to the theological writings once mistakenly attributed to Dionysius the Aeropagite

Beauty

(n). the quality or group of qualities of a person that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind

Critical thinking

(n). the act or practice of thinking critically (as by applying reason and questioning assumptions) in order to solve problems, evaluate information, discern biases, etc.

Discipline

(n). control grained by enforcing obedience or order

Humanism

(n). a devotion to human welfare

Humanities

(n). compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposting: the quality or state of being humane

Rationalization

(n). the act, process, or result of rationalizing: a way of describing, interpreting, or explaining something (such as bad behavior) that makes it seem proper, more attractive, etc.

"The Orestia"

(n). an ancient Greek tradgey trilogy by Aeschylus

Infinite person

(n). someone with limitless potential for growth, understanding, and positive impact, characterized by critical thinking, open-mindedness, deep empath, and a drive to learn and improve, often inspiring others

Justice

(n). the quality of being just, impartial, or fair

Contemporaries

(adj). marked by characteristics of the present period

Renaissance person

(n). a person with many talents or areas of knowledge

Socratic dialogue

(n). a cooperative discussion method that uses a structured series or open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking, challenge assumptions, and guide participants toward deeper understanding and reasoned conclusions, rather than winnning an arguemet

Seminar

(n). a group of adavanced studnts studying under a professor, with each doing original research and all exchanging results through reports and discussions