H'MMM Disciplines

Andy Warhol created the emblem appropriate for celebrating the H'MMM disciplines: Humanities + Movies Music Media.  Campbell's Soup's own motto could be included in the icon ("M'm! M'm! Good!"), suggesting how to enunciate the acronym ("the 'H'mmm! H'mmm! Good!' disciplines"). The "H" in "H'MMM" is distinguished, to reference the interjection "hmmm," which expresses a certain perplexity, pondering or thinking.  This is thinking about what is good, The Good (a transcendental category), hence, philosophy. 

This emblem motto contextualizes the  emphasis placed on the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).  The Governor of the State of Florida wants universities to favor STEM disciplines, as being those most economically productive, while denigrating useless disciplines (singling out Anthropology by name). 

This utilitarian assessment is misguided, even in its own terms.  The reality is that one of the few areas of economic productivity in which the United States retains leadership is entertainment, the industries associated with movies, music, and media of all kinds.  Of course there are technical engineering aspects to those industries, but few if any writers, directors, performers, actors, designers have degrees in any STEM discipline.  One of the largest industries in the world is tourism, and certainly one of the most important drivers of the Florida economy.  It would be interesting to survey the professionals staffing this industry, to discover which majors they pursued in college.

One of the topics explored in this blog concerns the H'MMM economy (humming along).