The brutal Harvard class that suddenly everyone wants to take

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news:Harvard’s demanding Humanities 10 course is attracting renewed interest from freshmen, offering a counterpoint to concerns that rigorous humanities education is losing ground
• The course is known for its substantial reading load and challenging academic expectations

🔭 The context: Professor Samantha Matherne’s October lecture connected Jane Austen’s Emma with the philosophical ideas of Adam Smith and Immanuel Kant
• The course’s interdisciplinary approach brings literature and philosophy into conversation, asking students to engage deeply with influential texts and ideas

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: humanities education can help students examine ethical questions, competing values and the social consequences of decisions, including those relevant to sustainability

⏭️ What’s next: The broader question is whether this enthusiasm signals renewed appreciation for demanding humanities education

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