mathematics
Explanation
This comic explores the tension between the practical and philosophical value of mathematics.
In the first panel, a character dismisses math: "Math is useful or whatever, but it can't teach us ethics, it can't teach us what the good life is." Another character agrees with a simple "True."
In the second panel, the first character continues, now unexpectedly praising math: "The study of math only teaches skepticism, forbearance, awe, shared imagination, play, wonder at the nature of reality, and how to think in terms of increasingly abstract structures starting from a small number of basic principles." This is a long list of deeply valuable intellectual and emotional qualities -- essentially arguing that math teaches nearly every important philosophical virtue except direct ethical instruction.
The third panel delivers the punchline. Someone says "I insist you also learned humility," and the mathematician responds "I also learned humility" -- then in the final panel adds, "Who taught you?" implying the other person has not learned humility. This is a classic Weinersmith reversal: the mathematician claims humility while simultaneously being arrogant about it, undermining the very virtue they claim to possess.
The comic gently satirizes both math-dismissers (who don't appreciate what mathematical thinking really cultivates) and mathematicians (who can be insufferably proud of their intellectual sophistication).