About Humes

The Humanities Program (Humes) starts with the assumption that no single disciplinary approach can answer the big questions, and so faculty come from across the college. You will hear lectures and be in discussions led by faculty with expertise in Africana Studies, Philosophy, Asian American Studies, History, Latin American Studies, German Studies, French and Francophone Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Film and Media Studies, Global Literary Theory, Religious Studies, Theatre, and Dance and Performance Studies.

Humes is learning to engage with the body of human experience, with “the best which has been thought and said in the world” where “the best” is contingent and up for debate—by you. Humes has a history. And a present. Humes is about the future—our theme for 2023-2024. At Davidson, we believe that a liberal arts education requires a balance of courses from across the disciplines, including the humanities, in order for our graduates to have the greatest impact in their post-Davidson worlds. Please contact Program Chair Patricio Boyer at paboyer@davidson.edu with any questions.

The Humanities Program receives substantial programming support from the Warren and Catherine Cox Endowment in the Humanities, established by Warren M. Cox, Jr., Davidson Class of 1924, and his wife Catherine Cox Gaither, to provide support for the Humanities Program.

In addition, the Humanities Program receives support from the Epes Distinguished Lectureship in the Humanities, which provides substantial support for a visiting distinguished public intellectual or scholar to visit the course and give a public lecture related to the course each year.