I dont know if most people will need to program computers (write code) but I do think the formalism of "imperative knowledge" is actually in its infancy now. And by that I mean the study of processes, the formalizing of "how to do things", and that can include many forms: management, manufacturing, economics, etc. A basic understanding of algorithms and data structures may be a requirement in liberal arts educations because in theory it can apply to so many areas.