In fairness to Vendler, the first paragraph in her piece seems to be referring vaguely to a time when various disciplines were lumped together as the Humanities. At that time, whenever it was, philosophy and history had the advantage. Perhaps, too, it was then that somebody or other thought of philosophy as “embodying truth”.
In fairness to Unfogged, Vendler does give the impression of believing that they still have the advantage.
That's fair. I've heard the ancients speak of this time, but I thought it was only lore, like the stories of how things were before Father Kripke.