Jackman Humanities Institute

What We Do The Humanities Matter The humanities shape the way we engage our world as citizens. By examining the cultural, historical, philosophical, linguistic and artistic dimensions of human experience, the humanities help us to understand the diversity and complexity of our world. As distances shrink and global competition mounts, the humanities bridge cultures, engendering new relationships. Through improved understanding of others, the University of Toronto's humanists are helping to fight racism, work for peace, and promote environmental sustainability. In exploring cultures from other times and other places, they offer new perspectives on the world's most pressing problems.