What Classes Should Be Essential for Good Citizenship?

At the Higher Education Inquirer, we often ask: what is the purpose of education? Beyond workforce preparation, should our colleges and universities play a greater role in preparing students to be thoughtful, engaged citizens? And if so, what courses ought to be considered essential for that mission?

We want to open this conversation with four starting points—World Geography, World Religions, Philosophy, and Logic.

Why geography? Because in an interconnected world, understanding where people live, the resources they rely on, and the political boundaries that shape conflict and cooperation is fundamental. Without a sense of place, it’s easy to fall into provincialism and manipulation by those who would rather citizens not ask questions about global inequality, migration, or climate change.

Why religions? Because belief systems shape billions of lives across the globe. A class in World Religions offers more than a survey of faith traditions—it cultivates respect, empathy, and historical understanding. It challenges stereotypes, highlights shared values, and prepares students to navigate a pluralistic society.

Why philosophy? Because citizens should be able to ask questions about justice, democracy, ethics, and the human condition. Philosophy helps students think critically about values and institutions, rather than simply accepting them as given.

And why logic? Because the ability to evaluate arguments, spot fallacies, and separate truth from deception is indispensable in a world awash in propaganda, misinformation, and political spin. Logic provides tools for clarity of thought—tools that every citizen should have.

But are these four enough? Probably not. Civic literacy requires more than maps, scriptures, and reasoning skills. Should we also expect every citizen to study U.S. History, not as hagiography but as an honest reckoning with slavery, Indigenous displacement, labor struggles, and civil rights movements? Should Sociology be required, to examine inequality, race, and class? What about Economics, not just in its neoliberal form, but with an eye toward how capital and labor actually shape daily life?

Universities once argued that their general education requirements cultivated citizens, not just workers. Yet over the last half-century, as higher education has been reshaped by market forces, these aspirations have been diluted. Courses in the humanities and social sciences have been cut back, while students shoulder greater debt and are pressured into narrowly vocational programs.

So we turn the question back to you, our readers:

What humanities and social science classes should be essential for preparing people to be responsible, thoughtful citizens?

Is it time to revive a core curriculum of citizenship in an age of polarization, misinformation, and growing authoritarianism? Or has that ship sailed?

Send us your thoughts. The conversation begins with World Geography, World Religions, Philosophy, and Logic—but it won’t end there.