There now appears to be an overwhelming consensus that the Humanities is in crisis. Plagued by dwindling student interest and institutional austerity measures, the Humanities drifts toward an uncertain future. The response to the crisis by those sympathetic to the cause of the Humanities have for the most part taken a defensive posture, stressing often to bald repetition the connection between the Humanities and critical thinking, creativity, compassion, happiness, and even democracy against the perceived complete and hostile takeover of instrumental reason.
