Liberal Arts Education : The Ideas Of A Liberal Arts College

Living in the "Digital Age" it is not uncommon to believe the STEM fields- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics- are far more superior degree choices than its outdated counterparts, the liberal arts. However, Sanford J. Ungar attempts to shed light on the highly scrutinized and critiqued liberal arts education by clearing up seven common misperceptions. In his essay, "The New Liberal Arts," Ungar strings together counterarguments on why a liberal education still holds value in a modern society (656-662). Despite some strong rationalizations, Ungar 's argument is rendered ineffective.

Broadly speaking, a liberal arts education is concerned with the pursuit of knowledge as an end in itself, rather than for the sake of acquiring skills targeted at a career. The liberal arts philosophy is traced to the Greek philosopher Socrates, who famously proclaimed that the “unexamined life is not worth living”. To that end, traditional liberal arts education emphasizes the scholarly, the gentlemanly and the liberating. However, contemporary liberal arts education is marked by the integration of liberal and practical education. Consequently, a Christian liberal arts education should provide knowledge and intellectual skills to help students become functional and capable of

A liberal arts education encourages freedom by allowing students to grow individually and academically. Before I read the summer reading packet, I did not know this. By reading the packet, I understand what it means to be liberally educated at Loras College. The freedom and growth that I will experience through the liberal arts at Loras will allow me to become better-rounded as an individual. Because of this, I will have learned how to be a critical thinker and learner, see the whole picture of why I am learning what I am learning, and connect and use what I have learned to other aspects of life. I believe that through the liberal arts I will learn how see deeper into what I have learned, know the true reason of why I am learning what I am learning, expanding my knowledge by having a well-rounded education, and use that in real-world situations to better myself and society.

The principle of learning has always been valuable to me, and I remain curious to this day. I believe the only way to attain knowledge is to ask questions. The College of Arts and Science appeals to inquisitive students who share this mindset, students who want to know not just about Einstein’s theory of relativity, but also Shakespeare's masterpieces and Piaget’s stages of cognitive development. A liberal arts education will not only be an asset to me

The liberal arts create student who can think for themselves. With courses that encourage students to think, a liberal arts education generates students who will have unique perspectives and opinions on many subjects. The liberal arts prepare students to generate ideas that will continue to facilitate discussions in and outside of school. Liberal arts prepare a student to think about their thought process. With quantitative information and qualitative information, students can learn how to express their thought process and any patterns that go along with the process. The liberal arts encourage students to collect information, analyze that information and then come up with conclusions or solutions for

Now that I am in college, I have pondered upon whether a liberal arts education is better than a vocational education; a topic that did not cross my mind in high school. A liberal arts curriculum includes the studies intended to primarily provide general knowledge such as language, philosophy, literature, and abstract science and to develop general intellectual capacities, such as reason and judgment, as opposed to professional or vocational skills (merriam-webster.com). As students wanting to achieve a higher education, we have to think about what we want for ourselves. Either you want to grow as an individual and obtain a major in whichever field you chose, or just learn what best interests you. People have many misconceptions toward what the liberal arts are and how they can benefit you. We often hear things like, “A liberal arts degree will not get you a real job.” or “A liberal arts degree is a luxury not a necessity.” Although this is what the majority of the people who are not aware about the actual facts say, this is not true. An examination of, The New Liberal Arts by author Sanford J. Ungar, and Are Too Many People Going to College? by author Charles Murray, will reveal to us why one gains more knowledge at a liberal arts school. Murray argues that a liberal arts education is only for the elite, but I believe that they shouldn 't be the only ones to attend because my vision of a liberal arts college is one where all students come in with the appropriate amount of

The liberal arts tradition was born in the philosophy of ancient Greece. It originates in response to certain questions born from human nature, and queried by the unique philosophy born in Grecian culture: What is “being?” What is “wisdom?” What is “virtue?” What is “good?” This pioneering search for truth accessible to reason about the whole world led necessarily to the search for truth about the place of humanity within this world. This unprecedented venture of the human mind, today associated above all with the likes of Epicurus, Socrates, Euclid, and Aristotle, gave rise to a structured and formulaic body of reflection. After Greek philosophy had fully flowered in the fourth century B.C.E., scholars, teachers, and teachers sought to establish a curriculum to prepare students for higher and more hard and strenuous studies. From these efforts came what was called the enkyklios paideia, the learning circle, from which we get our word encyclopedia (Encyclopedia).

A study in general education (liberal arts) affects different aspects of my development both physically and mentally. A liberal arts education has shaped the form I conceive and return over individual circumstances. After attending class and reading all the benefits of a liberal arts education it has shaped the direction I held regarding a Liberal Arts education. A liberal arts education has shifted the way I study and the process I go about completing my school work. Furthermore, from the manner I organize my day to the way I organize my goals, a liberal arts education really shaped the way I do my everyday schedule. The liberal arts class changed me into a greater adapted, more efficient and effective member of society. A liberal arts education taught me the value and efficiency of critical and independent thinker. Within the real world, an individual who can show aforementioned qualities is higher valued than the person who cannot. With a liberal arts education, you are more fit to acquire and exhibit these skills. A liberal arts education are intended to broaden the general knowledge and experiences of the students, and the class accomplished just that. The class affected my mentality about school and the way I see the real world.

In recent discussion of the new liberty art education , a controversial issue has been weather it is efficient or not. On the one hand, some argue that liberty art education is only for those who can afford it. From this perspective, only wealthy blue blood can take such a frivolous major and waste time. On the other hand, however, other argued that it provide student with an excellent education and a demanding thinking skill. In the words of Sanford j. ungar, one of the view’s main proponents, employers are “look for more emphasis ‘on the ability to effectively communicate orally and writing’’(192). According to this view. Career major , as opposed to liberal art majors, are not fitting to bill for more as for most employers (ungar 192). In sum, then the issue is whether a liberal art degree is appropriate for all student seeking a higher education .

The value of a liberal arts education and the focus the liberal arts should receive in secondary and post-secondary education

With the world constantly changing, I believe a liberal arts education help me become a better problem solver and overall thinker. Preparing for a less predictable future and being able to easily adapt to different situations and circumstances is going to be very important in my near future. I think that this would allow me to be a better leader as well because I'll be able to help guide others who don't know how to adapt to certain situations. It takes more than a strong understanding of a subject to become someone who's able to climb the hierarchy ladder in the workplace. Anyone can go to any school and memorize books, however, liberal arts schools teach you how to think, to analyze situations from all viewpoints, and work with others. Also,

A liberal arts education as a dictionary defines it, is a holistic teaching approach that provides an overview of many different subjects. It aims to deepen your understanding of the world that surrounds us all, rather than dive whole-heartedly into one concentration right away. The education is focused on the idea that every subject has something to offer your mind that perhaps can be later used in an unexpected way. Knowledge is power, they say. Being able to reference a book you read in your freshmen seminar, in a Chemistry class, encompasses this belief that knowledge can be effective everywhere. When I first began looking at colleges, I didn’t know what kind of education I was searching for. I had an idea that I wanted to go into a medical

“93 percent of Americans consider the arts to be vital to providing a well-rounded education for children and a critical link to learning and success” (“Why” par. 3). Going against this though, school budgets give less to arts programs each year. This can be exemplified in the lack of liberal arts programs that schools across the country are able to provide. In 2009, a mere four percent of schools offered theater classes and an even lower three percent offered dance classes (Metla par. 3) Of course the school must give time for the basic english, math, and history classes, but those classes can be amplified in what students get out of them by the addition of liberal arts courses. If students have an art or music class that gives them passion,

The concepts of a Christian liberal arts education and a vocation are important to define and understand. A liberal arts education focuses on developing a well-rounded student who has taken courses in various areas of study outside of his or her major or technical field. For example, a history major would still be required to take science, math, literature, and philosophy courses. A Christian liberal arts education takes the value of a well-rounded student from well-rounded study and combines it with a value to see all subjects and course topics from a biblical perspective. It is the pinnacle of an integration of faith and learning. This type of education can lead to a clearer understanding of what vocation should be chosen. A vocation goes

All types of education, whether technical or liberal, possess their own inherent merit. The distinction between the two lies in the spectrum of a particular study’s application. A higher education in any study should be encouraged because more knowledgeable individuals benefit both society and themselves through the continuation of their education. The value of one type of education does not negate the value of another. In today’s society technical studies, that is studies with a direct application in the workforce, are more widely encouraged due to the practical merit of the study. It is true that technical studies are valuable, but their value does not negate the immense value of liberal studies because of it lack of a single application. Therefore, the conjunction of both liberal and technical classes in college provides the greatest amount of benefit. Specifically, higher education in the liberal arts is the most valuable for it allowance of a broader application in every field of study and also the larger social realm because of the critical skills it helps students to develop.