AskUs!: Research and Instruction (RIS)
What subjects make up the humanities discipline?
Answer
The humanities are more a collection of disciplines than a single discipline. Disciplines that focus on the human condition, from a philosophical or artistic perspective, are generally included in the humanities. These include fine arts, performing arts, literature, philosophy, religion, and history. Disciplines that tend to take an empirical approach to studying human life are grouped in the social sciences. However, some disciplines, such as history, linguistics, and cultural studies, are sometimes classified as social sciences and other times as humanities.