Historically, the humanities have been central to education because they have rightly been seen as essential for creating competent democratic citizens. Recently, Nussbaum argues, thinking about the aims of education has gone disturbingly awry both in the United States and abroad. Anxiously focused on national economic growth, education has been treated as though its primary goal were to teach students to be economically productive rather than to think critically and become knowledgeable and empathetic citizens. The focus on profitable skills has eroded people's ability to criticize authority, reduced sympathy with the marginalized and different, and damaged the competence to deal with complex global problems. And the loss of these basic capacities jeopardizes the health of democracies and the hope of a decent world. In response Nussbaum argues education needs to be reconned to the humanities in order to give students the capacity to be true democratic citizens of their countries and the world. Recensie van de Nederlandse vertaling 'Niet voor de winst' verschenen in de Volkskrant, 27-8-2011.en in de NRC 21-10-2011.