1. Introduction 

In the dialogue Cratylus, Socrates professed, “There is nothing worse than self-deception—when the deceiver is at home and always with you” (Plato, 1953, p. 374).

Dear 1849,

I’m supposed to close on you in about two days. The lawyer keeps calling it “finalizing the transaction,” but that’s not really what this is.

One afternoon, a friend of mine asked, rather cynically, “Why should we care about the humanities?” Aren’t we “wasting” our dear time painting pictures, writing novels, and endlessly debating philosophical issues?