Traditions and Values of Western Culture

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Traditions and Values of Western Culture

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History is a part of everyone's lives. We exist today because of our history. People who lived before our time fought for the rights that many individuals take for granted. Especially for an individual to appreciate life, one must be fully aware of the past, so one could truly appreciate their existence today and the freedom they have. So when the question arises on whether or not "Colleges and universities serve to pass on to students the great traditions and values of Western culture?" Without any doubt the answer should be absolutely yes. If someone answered no, the person should be considered ignorant and maybe they would think twice if all rights were stripped away from him. These institutions should pass on the tradition of education and the curriculum needed to achieve to be an overall well rounded person. The way an institution chooses to pass a long a culture does not matter, such traditions need to be passed to the next generation. There are three men of great literature, Mike Rose, John Henry Newman, and Jeffery Hart, who have recognized the importance of passing on the Western culture and they offer some interesting incites to their readers.

In Mike Rose's essay he introduces the lives of people from a variety of cultures. He describes the hardships one may encounter as he goes through life. Rose begins by describing his own difficulties of accepting education in his life and how he would rather read comic books. He adds that it was not until high school when he met a teacher who inspired him to learn and write a great deal more than he was accustomed. After his final year in high school, Rose adds that "the books that seemed so distant, those Great ...

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...ed to know the specifics of all the subjects; the main idea would be for him to know all other fields of study do exist and what those fields represent.

Colleges and universities need to pass on to students the great traditions and values of the Western culture. By allowing someone to learn his history he will have a greater appreciation for life. With education, the knowledge of history will allow a person to make a statement in his lifetime that could better the future for others. The universities and colleges should not be reluctant in teaching the values and traditions of the Western culture. Mike Rose, John Henry Newman, and Jeffrey Hart all support the idea of educating our students about the traditions and values of the Western culture. There is an extreme need for these areas to be covered in school because students are lacking the knowledge of the past.

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