Abstract

Humanities do not meet the scientific standards of natural sciences. Following Aristotle who distinguished theoretical and practical science, we can consider humanities as techne or fronesis, but not as episteme. Humanities reveal their practical quality in close connection with education. We agree with Gadamer saying that the scientific nature of humanities was formed in the process of education. The interaction of humanities, education and politics was expressed in the ancient Paideia, European humanistic and Enlightenment traditions of education, which focused on improvement of human nature. In the 19-20 centuries this concept was destroyed, and it transformed the idea of education. Teaching is actually separated from the process of formation of the subject. M.Foucault returns to the ancient idea of Paideia. Knowledge is more and more turning into information, and education - into ideological manipulation of consciousness. Today humanities actually lose their role of the basis for general education, allotted to them by the Humboldt University concept and in Hegel’s pedagogy. The educational reform in Russia is following this general trend. Education is divided into two levels: general elitist education and narrowly specialized education. General education is increasingly turning into management studies using the humanities as auxiliary. Narrow vocational education is doing with a minimum of humanities. This is demonstrated by the cuts in school history and literature education programs. The lack of classical humanitarian education opens a wide scope for ideological manipulation of consciousness.