Heavy sigh...
Economics was dubbed "the dismal science" by Thomas Carlyle because the logic of free market capitalism argues against slavery. See Occasional Discourse on the Negro Question. There is nothing dismal about economics, unless you count the way economic concepts are twisted to promote government policies.
Thank you. Economics, taught properly, is as good for the soul as anything on the liberal-arts side of the quad.
As a college professor I can tell you that in my economics-principles classes (a) 80% of the students are eager to learn, beyond just things that seem more directly vocational; the stereotype of the mindless time-punchers who just want to be entertained or stare at their phones is misplaced; but (b) about 30% of them simply cannot write a proper paragraph, and so simply do not belong in college. Remedial work is largely useless. As wonderful as the classics are in the hands of a good teacher, these students are nonetheless simply in the wrong place.
Yes, there is, if you're looking for a free lunch. Economics tells you you can't have one, or at least not everyone can have one. Economic is, after all, the science of dealing with scarcity.
97% of economists rarely agree on anything.