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“The capacity to be puzzled is...the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.”

Erich Fromm

 
mission
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rotate1 The mission of the College of Arts & Letters is to study and teach the humanities, social sciences, and the arts. What makes us unique is that we approach the traditional humanities taking science and technology studies as our starting points. The underlying philosophy is that one can broach the study of history from the viewpoints of the history of science or the history of technology, philosophy from the philosophy of science, literature from the fields of literature and science or science fiction, sociology from the sociology of science, art and music through technology, and so on. Stevens has an STS program (variously Science, Technology and Society, or Science and Technology Studies), but the College of Arts & Letters is not a college devoted solely to STS. Rather, the defining idea behind this College is just the opposite. We believe that considerations of science and technology can and ought to be infused into the traditional disciplines of the humanities. No other school does anything like this, and, in fact, no existing academic label or rubric captures this distinctive institutional mission of integrating science and technology perspectives into the traditional humanities and social sciences.

The College of Arts & Letters, even though devoted to viewing the humanities through the lens of science and technology, does not reject traditional liberal arts educational curriculums or goals. Indeed, it is our conviction that one can get to the ‘eternal truths’ of the Greek genius or celebrate the great achievements of medieval or Renaissance art and literature, for example, no less from the intellectual vantage points of science and technology studies, than through the more traditional list of classic “Great Books.” These more traditional approaches are not timeless, but themselves historical products. The novel approach defining the College of Arts & Letters at Stevens would seem to be most fitting, not only for Stevens, but for the world we inhabit today. Hence our motto, "Tradition Informed by Today."

 

in the news
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CALL FOR PAPERS

Science, Technology and the Humanities: A New Synthesis
April 24-25, 2009

College of Arts & Letters

Several scholarly disciplines focus on science and technology. Especially since World War II, the fields of the history, philosophy, literature, and social studies of science and technology have become well established as academic programs,...  [Click here for more...]
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Prof. David Musial recently co-produced a Ballad in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King

Prof. David Musial recently co-produced a Ballad in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King titled "I Have A Real Dream". Musial wrote the lyrics and his associate Steve Clark from Germany wrote the melody and hired the Prague Symphonic Orchestra to record the music.  Music arranged for seven of the artists from his Smart Trax Media company to perform the vocals. ...  [Click here for more...]

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Prof. Andy Brick Orchestrates Halo for the Seattle Symphony

Prof. Andy Brick Orchestrates Halo for the Seattle Symphony

Prof. Andy Brick is pleased to announce the completion of work on his concert orchestration of music from the blockbuster video game series Halo 1,2 and 3. Prof. Brick worked with famed Halo composer Marty O'Donnell to create this dynamic score. The score, which included professor Brick's premier...  [Click here for more...]
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upcoming events
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Wed, Oct 15, 2008
Strange Positioning Systems

Wed, Oct 15, 2008
Innovations between Scientists & Artists

Wed, Oct 15, 2008
Can Science Explain Religion?

Wed, Oct 15, 2008
TBA

Wed, Oct 22, 2008
Plato on the Value of Friendship

Wed, Oct 22, 2008
"K-Pax"

Sun, Oct 26, 2008
MET Trip

Calendar of Events
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