The humanities should teach about how to make a better world, not just criticize the existing one

Learning to transform, not only criticize, circumstances is an important part of humanities education. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

This coming spring, a new group of students will think about choosing university majors when they apply to campuses across North America.

In all likelihood, fewer of those students will choose humanities subjects — traditionally understood to include history, literature, philosophy, languages and the arts — as their major, than in past years.