Identifying with Muggles in Potterverse WAS: Re: DD at th...

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 158136

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, lisasimpsonfan at ... wrote:
>
> Ken:
>  
> Even if they didn't have a culture of their own you would think  they
> would study English culture and history. Hogwarts has no art  classes,
> no music classes, no literature classes. Hogwarts is like the  engineering
> student's dream school, no humanities, just the "good  stuff".
>  
> Linda:
>  
> I think that the lack of art and humanities classes in Hogwarts traces back  
> to when the school was founded and not because of a lack of culture in the  
> WW.  It was a very dangerous time to be a wizard or witch.  The  general 
> population believed in magic and it was punishable by death.   Granted wizards are 
> better able to defend themselves against attack but they are  still human and 
> can make mistakes.  The Founders started Hogwarts to create  a safe haven where 
> they could teach young wizards and prepare them for the  challenges they faced 
> in the outside world.  There are only so many hours  in the day and it makes 
> more sense to teach them how to make a healing potion or  ward a house then to 
> play a harp.  
>  
> Linda who wonders if Ron's The Adventures of Martin Miggs, The Mad  Muggle 
> comics count as culture?
> 

Ken:

In a thousand years nobody thought to correct the founders' shortsightedness? 
That doesn't say anything good about the WW. The arguement you give is 
exactly the same one engineering students use when complaining about their
humanities requirement. The consequences in the WW are exactly what they
would be the real world if we did not make science and technology students
study the humanities. In our world physicists are often very cultured people
and even though we rarely are credited with it, engineers are too. Remove
the moderating influence of culture and the world of technology would run
amok, much as it does in the Potterverse. That would, perhaps, be part of 
Rowling's message.

Certianly comics would count as culture and that is generally recognized 
today even though many are still not wild about the idea. But where is the 
deeper appreciation of all of human culture? A love of Boston does not 
preclude a love of Brubeck which does not preclude a love of Bach. Where
is the love of Bach or Brubeck or Boston? Surely these things and many
others reach wizards and witches as well as us. Back in my day engineering
students carried an average of 5 credit hours more per semester than 
liberal arts students. We would have had a much easier time of it if we
could have done without the humanities and it forced us to take up the
technological classes we didn't have time for as undergratuates in graduate
school. We would have been much the poorer if real schools adopted the
Hogwarts solution. We would live in a darker world too. Nothing prevents
Hogwarts from teaching the Humanities AND having a graduate program
in advanced magic.

Ken