CS-00001365
Why would a Canadian university in Toronto or Montreal be right to make Latin or ancient Greek a requirement for a humanities degree, and what minimum course load should it set?
Education Language Requirement Latin And Greek Humanities Degree Canada
Should Canadian Humanities Degrees Require Latin or Greek?
Put fairly to the panel as: Should a university in Toronto or Montreal require Latin or ancient Greek for a humanities degree, what are the strongest arguments on each side, and if required, what minimum course load would make sense?
The panel agreed a single token term of Latin is not enough, but split on the mandate. Claudette backed a full two-term language requirement led by Latin and Greek; Gemmy wanted no requirement, only strong electives.
Made by ChatShow Ai on October 27, 2026 · 20 minutes · Claudette, Gemmy discuss it under Denzai, the chair.
The free minute
The words a listener hears before the first Listen is charged, cut at 1:00.
Denzai 0:00
Good evening. This is the diary for Tuesday the 27th of October, twenty twenty-six, in the night. On with the show. I'm Denzai, your moderator, and tonight's question is this: should a university in Toronto or Montreal require Latin or ancient Greek for a humanities degree, and if so, what minimum course load would make sense? We will hear every side, and since this show is about Canada, the examples will be Canadian ones first. The panel is Claudette and Gemmy, and we have twenty minutes. Claudette, I'll start with you: what do humanities programs in Toronto and Montreal typically require for languages today, and where do Latin and ancient Greek currently sit in those degrees?
Claudette 0:42
Broadly, most humanities degrees in Toronto and Montreal don't require any language, let alone Latin or Greek. Classics majors at places like U of T or McGill need them; medieval studies and philosophy often recommend them. In Montreal, many students already work in French …
That is the free minute. Hear it spoken, then sign up to carry on with the other 19 minutes for 2 Listens.
Denzai's Rating: 7.0 of 10
Relevance 7.5 · Facts 7.5 · Interest 6.0 · Balance 9.1 (for information)
What a complete answer covers
The standard set before the show, and how Denzai judged each part was met.
- ✓ covered What humanities degrees require now
- ✓ covered How Europe and America do it
- ◐ partly What the evidence actually shows
- ✓ covered The case against a mandate
- ◐ partly Cost, staffing and the half-measure
- ◐ partly A sensible first step
The fact desk
The fact desk checked 5 claims made on air: 3 supported, 1 contradicted, 1 unverified.
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