Princeton Survey Indicates Social Sciences Waning

For the first time in many years Princeton University students are spending more class-room hours studying the humanities than the social sciences. The results of a recent survey of undergraduate selections revealed that 41 per cent of the courses elected by students for the spring term were in the Humanities.

J. Douglas Brown, dean of the Princeton faculty, regards the swing away from the social sciences toward the humanities as a "persistent trend" which began shortly after the end of the war.

"This indicates that young men realize that the answers to many of the problems facing the world today lie in the humanities, where they may gain an understanding of the age-old values which have been the strength of western civilization," he said.

Science Dangerous

"Knowledge in the fields of science and social science, standing alone, may be turned to purposes which are disastrous to our way of life."

Courses in American civilization, Near Eastern studies, and creative writing, which, along with philosophy, religion, English, music, and art, are included among the humanities, have all experienced increased enrollment.

While the humanities enrollment has increased from 32.8 per cent to 41 per cent in a year and a half, the social sciences have dropped off from 36.5 per cent to 33 per cent. The pure sciences have declined from 30.7 per cent to 26 per cent.