Latin is not the only key to the past

Because I hold Peter Williams in high esteem, I was very surprised to hear his reaction to the anecdotal advice, "Take Chinese, not Latin." In his Tuesday commentary he showed the same kind of narrow-mindedness that he decried. He implied that taking Chinese is only about business, and that business is only about money. Pitting business against the humanities is already a mistake. But to use only Greek and Roman civilization as examples of a rich cultural heritage is one-sided.

While the study of Latin is advantageous, it is not the only key to unlocking the past. Since a large portion of the world's population lives in China (and has for most of recorded history), perhaps the study of Chinese-classical or modern-should be considered at least as important as the study of Latin. The richness and longevity of China's culture affords ample opportunity to practice the "critical thinking" and "understanding other civilizations" that Williams recommended.

The last phrase of his commentary, "shoddy Chinese goods," was especially offensive, dismissing over a millennia of international trade. Some of the world's most highly prized products originated in China. And by the way, it isn't because they didn't take Latin or Chinese that people watch a particular TV program or read escapist literature. What's wrong with "American Idol"?”.

--Ann Barrott Wicks, Professor of Asian Art History, Miami