The humanities traditionally have been viewed as instruments in building the modern state. In current times, however, arts and literature have become marginal in universities, said writer and cultural critic Beatriz Sarlo to an overflowing audience at Piggott Hall last night.
Art is ironic.
Recent developments, such as American cultural studies, provide further evidence of this conflictive relationship. Cultural studies are not a solution but a statement of a problem. Modern art requires more than a respect for diversity - it involves evaluation, which may not be democratic, she said. She said the post-modern era has witnessed the extension of the arts into everyday life while simultaneously driving the humanities to a defensive position. In his introduction of Sarlo, Computer Science Prof.