The humanities represent a striving for coherence in a society that today is frequently fragmented, that is intellectually fragmented. Certainly Mordecai was a disturber of Esther's peace. Humanities bring moral perspective, moral insight. They create a moral dimension to society. They challenge us to think deeply, to think so that we are not seduced by simplistic answers, by the rhetoric of politics and media and by the consequences of living in a consumer culture.
Humanities cultivate critical intelligence.
The suggestion, explicit or implied, is that rebuilding trust begins with listening to each other. As students of conflict theory, we were taught that conflict is the catalyst of change and that we shouldn't fear conflict, that it's good, unless it becomes destructive. I view trust as the bridge that spans the conflict, that enables us to move to peaceful change. The interactions of civil society depend on an extraordinary level of trust. Something that has come up over and over again, whether in terms of the relationships between the law and the media, between law enforcement and the public, or between the public and its officials, are these issues of trust . . . .