“Hence you see why “liberal studies” are so called; it is because they are studies worthy of a free- born gentlemen. But there is only one really liberal study – that which gives a man his liberty. It is the study of wisdom”, said Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher who lived during the time of Jesus Christ. Historically speaking, learning liberal arts we learn ourselves to be passionate, loyal, brave and what is more important, generous. The word “freedom” has been the fundamental component of any American Dream. Today we celebrate our nation’s independence and allowance to govern ourselves. Historically speaking, the liberal arts were mostly studied by those who, because of time and material resources, are able to pursue them. One of the most influential philosophers of the ongoing discussion of the nature of the liberal arts is Lucius Annaeus Seneca. He declares that the liberal …show more content…
Perhaps the most important effect of virtue is generosity. As Seneca said, “…there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.” There is no public property, because what we call our own is public. Let’s remember the truth that Christians all agree on. “The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Ps. 24:1). This is God’s world, not ours. Only God holds the ultimate title on everything. America’s Founding Fathers explained very clearly the true meaning of the American Dream. According the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". America’s Founding Fathers clearly understood that true freedom and faith are inseparable. In other words, desire of having freedom and a strong faith could help to establish the Constitutional Republic as a nation under
In Chapter 2 of In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria titled “A Brief History of Liberal Education” Zakaria does just that he begins chapter 2 giving a history lesson on the history of liberal education. From its beginning in Ancient Greece, where lessons consisted of the studying of Homeric poetry to codes, values, and physical training. In the start, the people of Greece did not like the need for this liberal education. Zakaria talks about how Plato and Isocrates both had different outlooks on what should be taught. Plato “considered education a search for truth.” (Pg42) Where Isocrates believed that studying rhetoric, language, and morality (Pg43). Zakaria also talks about the liberal education in the Roman empire along with
If they are taught correctly, liberal arts classes have the potential to help “students cross social boundaries in their imaginations. Studying a common core of learning will help orient them to common tasks as citizens; it will challenge or bolster… their views and, in any case, help them understand why not everyone in the world (or in their classroom) agrees with them,” explains Gitlin in his article “The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut.” By exposing students to this in high school, they will be more prepared when this moment occurs in their careers. I, along with many students throughout the country, have been exposed to incorrectly-taught liberal arts classes. Students taking English, for instance, must read specific novels while assessing a theme that is already pointed out to them.
Have you ever read something and thought “What a bunch of crap”? Well that’s the reaction I had to reading Fareed Zakaria’s book, In Defense Of a Liberal Education. Over the course of the book, Zakaria makes the argument that attending college with the specific intention to get trained for a job is “Short sighted and needlessly limiting”. Zakaria also breaks down the differences between the United State’s education system with other countries across the globe. By attending college with the intention of receiving critical thinking skills and being able to express our ideas, rather than just going to train for a job, Zakaria believes that the average student would be much better off in the world after they graduate.
In the article “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar presents the argument of why liberal arts schools are still competitive and useful today. The beginning of the article immediately addresses the problem that Ungar is defending, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal-arts education has been especially hit hard.” The author provides credibility through his time of being a liberal arts presidents, applies statistics about the enrollment and job security outside of liberal college, he addresses the cost factor and how a student may find compensation, and that a liberal arts college is not preparing students for success. The article “The New Liberal Arts,” addresses
College is a popular topic for most, and Sanford J. Ungar and Charles Murray have a unique way of explaining both their opinions. In his essay, “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar advocates that the liberal arts should be everybody’s education, regardless of the fact that most Americans are facing economic hardship. The first misconception that he begins to explain is “a liberal arts degree is a luxury that most families can no longer afford”. Career education” is what we now must focus on.”
The article, Our Compassless Colleges, by Peter Berkowitz discusses the current challenges faced in liberal education in universities, how the current education is defeating the purpose of liberal education and the methods to solve the issue and the people who can solve the issue. Perter Berkowitz is former professor of Law in Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Berkowiz also taught political philosophy in the Department of Government at Harvard University and taught law at George Mason University School of Law. In his article, according to Berkowiz, university can be considered as the last chance for people to broadly and deeply read to understand the society they live in and also to study other cultures. However, he strongly believes that the universities are not providing a strong base for the students to learn comprehensive intellectual habits and to familiarize them with long-term ideas about culture, politics and social reforms.
Sweetman, George. “The Liberal Arts.” Tyndale University College & Seminary. Toronto, Ontario. 4 Oct. 2013. Lecture.
Arthur F. Holmes states his viewpoint from a Christian standpoint on liberal arts in his essay, “The Liberal Arts”. He states, “Liberal Arts would refer to a set of academic disciplines.” (Holmes 385) He also writes that liberal arts has a lot to do with how people speak and think. Holmes also speaks of how liberal arts in the eighteenth and nineteenth century is synonymous with classical education.
“A high school graduate who has acquired Hirsch’s core knowledge will know, for example, that John Stuart Mill was an important 19th-century English Philosopher who was associated with something called Utilitarianism and wrote a famous book called On Liberty. But learning philosophy in college, which is and essential component of a liberal education, means that the student has to be able to read and understand the actual text of On Liberty”. (Murray
The view of what college is and what the experience of college offers, differ dramatically between an individual and the society he or she lives. College has traditionally been viewed as the place young adults go to find themselves, find their career, and start their adult lives. Some have argued that education has veered too far away from tradition, while others argue that the whole idea of Liberal Education needs to keep evolving to meet the demands of the modern world. Those in favor of change argue for more diversity within the curriculum, such as more non-western world education and feminist thought. However, the traditional educational ideal has not completely vanished. At the majority of colleges in America the Liberal Arts, or General Education, is the core requirement that every student must take regardless of major. A liberal education studies the idea of what it means to be a good human being. The Liberal Arts are important to everyone because it tries to grasp each individual’s uniqueness and find their place in society. These classes aim to challenge students to become better people, better citizens, and overall create a better society. Liberal Arts try to grasp the knowledge and skills humans have used to rationally understand human existence for thousands of years. By creating culturally diverse campuses and studying topics like philosophy; students learn to question life, question society, and find answers to what it means to be a good person. All of these innovations together along with better informed and intelligent students help form societies focused on equality and the future of human civilization.
Sometimes students question themselves if college is really worth it? That question has many answers that only a student can answer and decide for him or herself. For some students college can have a positive, life-long outcome. However, there are many obstacles when it comes to college. A student has to be very dedicated in school, and they have to know how to manage their personal life, school and work. College seems like it has more negative effects than it does positive for some people. For the following reasons college is not worth the cost because it is very difficult to find jobs after graduating or they find a job that is not in their field, some students who are not academically prepared wind up dropping out of school and wasting their money and some students struggle to balance school life, personal life and work life. As a result these students end up dropping out of school.
Michael S. Roth, “Why liberal arts matter”. CNN. CNN. 21 May 2011. Web. 05 March 2014.
By taking a liberal arts degree, students are obtaining knowledge and critical thinking that high-paying job careers won’t provide. As for example, “Plenty of philosophy and physics majors work on Wall Street, and the ability to analyze and compare literature across cultures is a skill linked to many other fields, including law and medicine”, a liberal arts degree is so important because not only does it give you life skills but prepares you for far more advancement challenges (228). Ungar expresses liberal arts as a degree where students will learn not just to make a living, but also living a life that ponder values and
In terms of writing, the words “They Say” are the ideas and views of others, that must be paid attention to by the writer. While the inverse term, “I Say” is talking in terms of your personal opinion. A perfect example in which both techniques are used would be through writing an argumentative essay. When using what “They Say” in your writing you may either quote what was said or summarize in your own words. By using this skill you can prove your statement to be correct, and to persuade the reader to agree with your views. I find that the best time to use what “They Say” is before presenting my argument to the reader. Using what “I Say” can sometimes be harder because the stipulations increase on the writer. While staying respectful
Is college really as valuable as everyone makes it out to be? College opens up various pathways to a successful future, if not a gateway into the middle class. With selective choices, college can be beneficial. Although it does depend on career choice and a major, one may find it certainly worth it.