Loss of Humanities Should Not be a Sacrifice of Eduction Essay

In the shifting landscape of higher education today, questions continue to be raised about the value of a liberal arts education. It is constantly claimed that subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math, are more valuable in today’s economy and culture than a liberal arts major such as philosophy or history. In the essay “Tuning in to Dropping Out” Alex Tabarrok argues that majors in the STEM field are worth more than those in the liberal arts. He claims that “It matters what subjects students study, and subsidies should focus on the subjects that matter the most” (Tabarrok 17). He even goes as far as to say that “An argument can be made for subsidizing students in fields with potentially large spillovers, such as microbiology,

When Shorris explains his goal to the prospective students he indicates, “You’ve been cheated. Rich people learn the humanities; you didn’t. The humanities are a foundation for getting along in the world, for thinking, for learning to reflect on the world instead of just reaction to whatever force is turned against you.”(Page 4) That the rich have had the opportunity to buy that type of learning and embrace it, while the poor have had more things to deal with like getting food on the table from day to day. Therefore, Shorris believes that a liberal education will provide poor students with a new kind of lens to outlook the world. With the knowledge of philosophy, poetry, art history, logic and American history, Shorris trusts that these students will begin to uncover hidden talents and interests that will inspire them and help them to not only solve problems, but also seek plausible solutions. He believes that these qualities would provide the poor with an escape route from the ongoing cycle that have them trapped and it will provide them with “a certain kind of life, a richness of mind and spirit.” (Page 5) After his first thriving year teaching this class, sixteen of his prospective students completed the course, which then some went on to universities.

The essay “A New Liberal Arts,” which was written by Sanford Ungar, first appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education on March 5, 2010. In his essay, Ungar uses many different rhetorical strategies to convince his reader that a degree in the liberal arts is not a lost cause but can actually be very beneficial and lead to success. In Ungar’s opinion, there are many wrong ideas and misunderstandings about the usefulness of a degree in the liberal arts. In the essay there are seven specific misperceptions that he addresses specifically. By listing out these misperceptions, Ungar is addressing them individually in order to give each one proper attention. He offers explanations to why people may think these things and why he believes that they are incorrect. Ungar’s use of style, format, and emotional and logical arguments help him to create a persuasive and influential essay for his audience and convince them to agree with his opinion.

Humanities are required for the development of an individual’s creativity and expression, without these skills our society would be monotonous and bland. Our nation was built on the ideals of freedom and democracy, and although math and science help us to progress economically and technologically, they don’t help individuals to express themselves to be effectively represented by our government.

An illiterate person can be successful and live a productive life, a high school dropout can make a respectable wage, a person with a college education can be underemployed, and many people with doctorates who are unemployed. The literate arts do not guarantee success and money. What the literate arts do offer a person, are tools that make gaining knowledge and wisdom easier, both during and after their formal education. The gaining of this knowledge and wisdom offers other tools that make success easier – whatever success may be. If and how these tools (which are acquired through the literate arts) are used is entirely up to the individual.

In fact, the matter goes beyond that reason. Why would someone choose a major that only focuses on conceptual ideas, and is not required in the job market unless it is for teaching the humanities? It seems like a never ending loop. One person can give a lecture to a hundred people, but not each one of them will be able to teach another hundred. While other majors that are demanded in the market are more vast and broad. An engineer can work in a company, on their own inventions, and even teach subjects related to their majors for instance. Brooks needed to see the matter from a realistic point of view, since the reason is, after all, economic in the first place. When he argues that a 19-years old freshman will see the humanities as a boring and useless major, he forgets – or misses to mention, that people go to universities to prepare themselves for the job market. And there is no point of going to the market with a certificate that will lead them nowhere. With that being said, Brooks also insists on quoting a history teacher, transmitting to the reader his own perspective of the reason he thinks is causing the

“The New Liberal Arts” is an article written by Sanford J. Ungar, who is a president of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. In the beginning of his article, Ungar wrote, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around the liberal arts education has been especially hard hit.” In other words, Ungar means that recent economic recessions have made a huge impact on what people think of going for a liberal arts degree. In his essay, Ungar lists seven misperceptions and how he reacts to them. The most common misperception that Ungar identified is that liberal arts degrees are no longer affordable. The cost for liberal arts education is very expensive while

Higher education has a vast history; beginning in the early colonial period and spanning ten generations. With its wide range of history, aspects of higher education have changed as the ideals and reforms of society adjusted. Albeit, the missions and purposes of college have remained the same. In this paper, I will clarify the three main missions and purposes of higher education. Then, I will shift the focus of the paper to the area I would like to pursue in higher education and how it reflects those purposes.

Now since we are being honest with each other, I can admit that I did not even know that one could major in the humanities. In comparison to the other sections, this course seemed less likely to include research-based papers or business related prompts. After some research, I am pleasantly surprised to discover that the humanities can be anything from music to history and culture and do not include any topics I find boring.

This week, we have looked at several works of art that utilized allegorical themes. One of the most common uses of imagery in the medieval and Renaissance periods is allegory. What is an allegory? Describe how at least one of the examples of art in this week’s lecture or one of this week’s readings is allegorical in nature. Why, in your opinion, was allegory so prevalent during these periods? Is it still important in contemporary literature? Why or why not?

The Australian Curriculum for the Humanities and Social Sciences plays an important role in harnessing students’ curiosity and imagination about the world they live in and empowers them to actively shape their lives; make reflective, informed decisions; value their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and

The constrain in this article is the lack of assertion when Philip mentioned "the value of these subject to the liberal art". It appears that it is contradictory with what he said before. If these courses are valued then why he would propose a plan of cutting it. Another constrain is that he did not address specifically how this budget-cutting is going to effect the staff and university in general. after a long period. Phillip creates common ground by indicating that the community also has interests in his plan and he is willing to do it together. His explaination means that not only him but the community is also considering the plan as an effective choice for the

Question #1: Define classical humanism and illustrate by discussing the construction and decoration of the buildings of the Athenian acropolis. In your answer, refer specifically to the classical orders and the Parthenon’s sculptural decoration.

During the course I realized how large of a role art plays in helping create cultures and developing and preserving the history of civilizations. I find it interesting that when there’s no written history or any historical buildings, cultures will always make their own ancient past grander than what it really is. The Israelites, the Greeks and Romans all tell stories of their history that has no written proof. It seems that we as people want to have a connection to our roots and to understand where we come from. This is why I believe that most people want to believe in a higher power.

The humanities are central to creating and sustaining vibrant communities. They guide us in defining our individual beliefs, values, and aspirations. They help us understand and engage diverse cultures. They support us in envisioning and building innovative economic opportunities and relationships. They allow us to interpret our past and imagine our future.