This lively book explains why we all need the humanities. It shows how society has relied on humanities scholarship to address important public policy issues for many years. Donald Drakeman, an entrepreneur and educator, builds a compelling case for the practical importance of the humanities in helping governments make decisions about controversial issues affecting our lives in fields as diverse as healthcare and civil liberties. Judges regularly invoke the work of humanities scholars in deciding complex constitutional issues. Even the much-anticipated economic growth expected from progress in the biomedical sciences will ultimately depend on health policy decisions shaped by humanities scholarship. Society needs the humanities, and should support the continuing creation of scholarly research. At the same time, humanities scholars seeking society’s support need to consider more thoughtfully how they can best contribute to the common good.

Bold, compelling, and accessibly written, Why We Need the Humanities sets out a fascinating case for the importance of humanities scholarship and research in the modern world.