We'll call it the death of the humanities that's been a leading story about

colleges over the last decade or so and numbers bear it out. Majors in English

and history are down by a third. Humanities enrollment overall is down by almost a fifth.

But there's also another story to be told.

Jeffrey Brown traveled to Purdue University

to take a look for our higher education series,

Rethinking College.

Most people would lie to you if given the opportunity,

so there's nothing wrong with you lying to them first.

Welcome to the Machiavelli School of Management.

Today's prompt passages from the Prince, published in 1532.

Because men are wretched creatures who would not keep their word to you. You need not keep your word to them.

A classic text, small discussion groups, back and forth debate about ethics in today's world.

Does it work? Good argument, bad argument. I think it's a bad

argument. Why? Because it's basically saying that you have to expect that

you're going to be the sucker. A philosophy professor Brian Kogelman working with

freshman business and marketing majors like 18 year old Savannah Espinola.

He really pushes us he he says okay why why do you that? And he makes us come up with clear arguments and defend our reasoning. And he makes sure we're clear about it.

The course is part of Cornerstone, a general education program that injects the liberal arts into all realms of the freshman academic experience.

It's about understanding your humanity, cultivating your inner life,

and understanding the world and having empathy for other people.

History Professor Melinda Zook runs Cornerstone.

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