Mark Edmundson On The Uses Of A Liberal Education Summary

More people than ever before are attending college due to the endless opportunities that it provides. Louis Menand, a college professor and the author of “Live and Learn: Why We Have College,” explains the meaning of college through three theories that have been developed. Theory 1 supports the idea of the sorting-out process that separates the highly intelligent from the less intelligent. Menand’s second theory explains that college provides opportunities for developmental growth, personal growth, and teaches individuals about the world around us. These are valuable lessons that will not be learned anywhere else. Theory three supports the idea of people attending college to specialize in a specific vocation. I

Marty Nemko, in the article, “We Send Too Many Students To College,” acknowledges that colleges have become obscenely expensive and that it is possible to be successful without going to college. Arguing that too many students are sent to college without realizing that it is not imperative, Nemko targets parents in his claims that colleges focus on educating in the cheapest way possible and most importantly, that the advantage of past college graduates in the job market is declining. One of his main reasons is that even though the average college graduate makes more money, hundreds of thousands of students in the bottom half of their high school class do not succeed in higher education. Nemko’s article is the most persuasive article on whether college education still has value as he argues that college is not beneficial to everyone through demonstrations of hyperbole, and figurative language.

In her article “College Is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird attempts to pursued her readers that colleges are overflowing with students who don’t belong there. Her article first appeared in Psychology Today (May 1975). Since this material is outdated, I find it hard to believe that most of the responses by students and parents quoted in the article still hold true. The author has set out to pursue the readers that college is a bad and unnecessary choice for today’s youth. Yet the author holds a bachelors and a masters degree from two different universities. I would think that if she thought college was really a bad choice and a waste of time and money, she would not have gone back to get her masters degree.

Fareed Zakaria, author of “In Defense of a Liberal Education,” characterizes India as a technology-focused and economically driven country that values the idea of a liberal education about as much as someone values a fork when soup is for dinner. India is portrayed as a place that only cares about STEM related fields, stifling curiosity and denouncing the idea of learning for learning’s sake. When India and the United States are compared in “In Defence of a Liberal Education,” India comes across as uptight and old-fashioned while the United States is seen as a place of intellectual freedom. Zakaria maintains this view of India throughout the book, using his parents (his father is a lawyer and his mother is a journalist) to show there are exceptions to the rule.

Michael Fromm, CEO of electrical Manufacturing, says in an article on CNBC, “I find people that have a liberal arts background have a broader view of the world and will go farther in business.” Practical skills create people trained to do one thing one way and not allowing for deviance. Kelley Holland, on an article “The Case for a liberal arts education,” says, “Graduates that are right out of college, by their peak earning years, from age 56 to 60, people with liberal arts degrees earn an average of $66,185, about $2,000 more than their peers with professional or pre-professional degrees.” Critical thinkers are perfectly capable of performing practical skills, and in fact, since they have been taught to think for themselves, will now be

Neil Postman wrote, “The End of Education” which he compares technology to religion and how everyone thinks technology will be the answer to everything. In his comparison of religion to technology, he said,” important distinctions are made among the different meanings of “belief,” but at some point it becomes far from asinine to speak of the god of technology” (Postman 38). He is saying everyone is relying on technology to give them all the answers when in reality it could be making more problems. Like Postman said on page 41, I believe technology can alter and change sleeping patterns of the youth today. For example, I watch Netflix on my phone and sometimes and get so into the show I forget time it is, look at the time, and realize it is

Mark Edmundson is a professor of English at the University of Virginia. In his work “On the Uses of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students” Edmundson argues about Liberal-arts education of Universities. For him liberal-arts education was an ineffective way of education. He also mentioned that if we want to understand current universities we should not look of expert’s view, but turn to the class rooms and campuses, where new ideas are born.

As exhibited in his writing George Counts perspective is more forward thinking than many other leading educational figures of his time. In many respects I would consider him the father of modern day educational principles or theory because of how much he challenged educators and their allies to push the concept of education beyond the literal walls of school buildings and into the political and social spheres of daily American life. Reading how optimistic Counts was while staying grounded in realism and presenting a sound vision was refreshing. Counts wasn’t satisfied with just establishing an educational system, he wanted to have an educational system that would provide valuable social capital for people of all walks of life and not only the more elite classes. His recognition of how many school systems were greatly influenced by members of upper society is in my opinion is a very important issue to recognize.

Liberal education is the framework for baccalaureate generalist nursing practice. It is the best preparation for new graduate nurses. Liberal education provides nurses with the skills needed to practice nursing, including critical thinking, effective communication, and integration of knowledge from science and humanities in order to solve complex problems and challenges. Liberal arts education encompasses understanding of a wide variety of subjects such as both sciences and arts. Some of the sciences included in baccalaureate program: physical science, life sciences, mathematical sciences, and social sciences. The arts include: fine arts, performing arts, and humanities.

The ability to see all colors is considered normal, so those who lack this ability are considered color blind. The knowledge of a spectrum of subjects provided by a liberal arts education is like seeing with color, while an education in specific subjects of knowledge is like seeing with a few or one color. Liberal arts holds an understanding of the interdisciplinary environment in the 21st century where success is equated to both grand and specific knowledge. While many would argue that broad knowledge may never be used, the theory is easily contradicted by the modern workplace. My guidance councillor provides a perfect example of this through the story of his daughter’s career path.

A liberal education is a unique form of education that teaches a student a wide range of skills and also gives a student knowledge over a broad range of topics. Students may still learn in depth on one primary subject but they are not limited to just that topic. Instead they have the ability to expand their mind and touch on ideas about subjects they otherwise would not know.

The basis for liberal education was to “improve society by improving the intelligence of individuals” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 30). Equipping diverse students with a common education and creating equal opportunity allowed students to gain the skills needed to contribute to society. A liberal education granted students to “make their own decisions about their studies and careers” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 86). The Committee of Ten believed all high school students should “study history and literature, science and mathematics, language and the arts” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 51). These schools were Democratic because by teaching the deeper meaning behind the courses, students could “experience the experiences of the human race” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 35). The curriculum possessed heavy emphasis on reading and writing because it instilled “good habits, discipline, and self-control” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 34). Subjects helped prepare students for college and the workforce by improving the child’s critical thinking skills. Liberal humanists also held that “the lower classes of society are the intellectual equals of the upper class” (Ravitch, 2000, pg. 80). In the academic curriculum; race, gender, and class were trivial aspects in the child’s potential to become a scholar.

Liberal education is the very basis of college education. Although time has changed liberal education’s influence on university had it not been for the great thinkers of ancient society the academy of today would not exist. On another spectrum liberal education also heavily influences and impacts politics. By broadening one’s knowledge it greatly aids in decision and law making. Often providing a better understanding of others and improving the execution of the law by covering and considering every citizen.

Human sciences instruction can be extremely disappointing. It powers understudies to see numerous perspectives furthermore, consistently challenge their own. It evacuates the solace of expecting there are "correct" answers to central issues, that human progress moves in a straight mold or that realities are actualities regardless of who takes a gander at them. Be that as it may, it additionally acquaints understudies with the joys of verbal confrontation and the regularly growing universe of thoughts. In this essay we will discuss the importance of liberal education.

To be a productive global citizen one must grow intellectually and the most effective way to accomplish this is to procure a liberal education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic, in October of 2016 2.2 million youth ages 16 - 24 enrolled in college (BLS, 2017, P. 1). These students no matter their chosen major will be well versed in an array of subjects thanks to general education requirements. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) defines a liberal education as an education that “intentionally fosters, across multiple fields of study, wide ranging knowledge of science, cultures, and society; high level intellectual and practical skills, an active commitment to personal and social responsibility, and the demonstrated ability to apply learning to complex problems and challenges” (AAC&U, 2007, p. 4). For this paper I will be focusing on how a Liberal education is invaluable to those attaining a baccalaureate in a science, specifically nursing. This paper will discuss: i Why I chose to pursue a liberal education. ii The value a liberal education has for me and for my future nursing practice. And finally iii I will explain what autonomy means to me and my future nursing practice.