At uni enrolments this year, I flicked through the arts handbook, and after that I can't take Bonnel's article seriously. Bring on the History Wars! The sooner some blood is shed the better.

Lots of interesting posts here to an article which I agree with. Professor Melleuish's view of the humanities is indeed a caricature - like all caricature's one can find instances of its truth, but a serious examination shows it to be by definition shallow and ultimately foolish.

A couple of points: as some have said it is not "postmodernism" or "Marxism" (funny, real Marxists hate postmodernism) that is a threat to the humanities but marketisation. The confused mix of anti-leftism and populism allows marketisation free reign and will destroy the study of any classical "canon" faster than a room full of these Marxist postmodernists. "How will Greek philosphy get me a job?"

Finally, Professor Melleuish has added a comment here which says that he joined the university system on a Commonwealth scholarship. Presumably this was under Menzies. Menzies was an ardent supporter of Australian universities and presided over much of their post-war expansion. It's a legacy which the present government would do well to take seriously

“what does it mean to be mainstream in academia.” The only academics I know, that have any clue about real life are those that have entered academia later in life, after living it. The rest have just spent their time in classrooms learning out of books, I don't class that as intelligent understanding, just over programmed people.

You can see the results of this approach to education and research, by the declining literary standards and the totally out of touch bureaucracy and political system. When you consider that most politicians are either lawyers or accountants or have some other academic qualifications, and their ability to run this country in a progressive way. You can see why we have the situation we have.

Humanities, studies in nothingness. Just like having a degree in politics, qualified in stupidity and illusion.

Until academia understands what life is outside a book or theory, it will continue to be looked upon by the masses as out of touch and less and less relevant. The only way people will support more funding is for academia to produce positive results for those that pay them, the people.

Learning what real life is about outside their ivory towers, would be a good start for them all.

Golly Alchemist,

There must be something wrong with me. I started uni at the age of 40 after having lived and worked in the real world until then, yet it's quite clear to me that arguments pitting lefty academics against majority opinion is rather like pitting pixies against gnomes. OK if you're into fantasy but not particularly constructive.

Thanks Realist for injecting some sanity into this debate. As for the other arguments, I am reminded of medieval theologians arguing over how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.

That's right chronicler, you knock yourself out defending your comments. Do you expend as much synaptic effort responding to those many unpleasant ministerials? By the way, it's 'dance' on the head of a pin. Not 'fit'. As we might possibly say about your latest contribution.

One bit of evidence, one bit of reasoned argument - surely it's not too much to ask of you?