What are the Humanities?

The humanities explore the human experience by encouraging reflection on its nature and value through literature, history, philosophy and culture. The humanities also encompass time-tested methods of inquiry—dialogue, historical and logical analysis, critical interpretation and scholarly investigation.

Humanities projects funded by the Maine Humanities Council bring historical, cultural or ethical perspectives to bear on topics and issues of interest to our communities. These may take many different forms, but they often share the following characteristics. They: