4 Here, please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities add to people' s lives. Since ancient times, people have speculated about the mystery of those inner forces that drive some people to greatness and others to self - destruction . This inner drive has been called many things over the centuries . The famous psychologist , Sigmund Freud , called it the " unconscious mind " or, more familiarly , " instinct ". 5 From the beginning of time, this inner aspect of our being , this drive that can be constructive or destructive , has captured our imagination . The stories of this amazing struggle have formed the basis of cultures the world over . Historians , architects , authors , philosophers and artists have captured the words, images and meanings of this inner struggle in the form of story, music , myth , painting , architecture , sculpture , landscape and traditions . These men and women developed artistic " languages " that help us understand these aspirations and also educate generations . This fertile body of work from ancient times, the very foundation of civilization , forms the basis of study of the humanities .