Only Connect The Goals Of A Liberal Arts Education By William Cronon Analysis

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.

A Liberal Arts Education is the study of different academic courses and subjects. Those courses cover a wide range of subjects; from mathematics to the sciences, literature and philosophy. While in those subjects it is possible to diversify and explore different pathways and careers. It is necessary to take and explore these subjects while in college because they are the foundation for a successful life. If the fundamentals are learned it is possible to build off of them and pursue any career that is desired. Liberal Arts cover mathematics and literature, any job that is out there has these two subjects involved in them. At the CIA it is necessary to explore the sciences and philosophy that is behind the food we are making and the history of

Before jumping in to how Liberal Arts education in preparing me for my career, I would like to explain to what Liberal Arts education means to me. According to my interpretation, Liberal Arts education tries to focus on the bigger picture rather than focusing on certain aspects. As an economics major, I am able to take courses that help me understand the economics system in depth, while at the same time I can choose certain courses that could be help me go into depth in topics I hold interest in.

A strong definition of Liberal Education is an education that shapes a student to be a great contributor to society. To be a great member to society, one must be important on a local level at minimum, and you must have a positive influence on society. To get to this point, one must be able to think logically, as this is the most valuable skill due to its wide applicability. Logical thinking allows one to problem solve, which is necessary in many different situations, both professional and personal. Logical thought also allows the application of knowledge to real life situations. Knowledge that is not used when it could be is a waste of knowledge. A vast ocean of knowledge is also a crucial part of

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.

Liberal education produces a person who is literate in the broadest sense intellectually, morally, spiritually, and aesthetically (CITE). In the words of Robert Hutchins, the demands of educators are broad and they clearly envisage a life of continued learning or a learning society (CITE). Liberal educators such as Robert Hutchins and Mark Van Doren continued to read and learn different forms of education to teach. Today, many of the general courses being taught at colleges and universities would be consider liberal

Liberal education could be considered a very vague term as there are many ways one could define it. To me, liberal education is defined as a college level education that encompasses many different disciplines. From this college level education, I would expect to garner a wide variety of knowledge, an exposure to new ideas, and the chance to expand my horizons as I am involved in diversity of peers and topics. I think a couple of different factors went into the formation of this perceptive as a realistic anticipation of the college experience.

A liberal education is one that contains a lot of knowledge. It can also consist of various points of views. Students usually benefit from knowing the perspective of the other side which is different from what they agree with. When receiving a liberal education, it does mean to not take what is taught or said with a grain of salt. Free speech does not mean to not take what is said or taught with a grain of salt when needed. Censorship is when someone takes the grain of salt for another person while they are supposed to decide what they want to hear and what is good for themselves. Another person cannot make those decisions.

According to John Dewey’s definition of a liberal education, the education that I have received at Jefferson R7 High School has prepared me for life beyond high school. The three Rs of education, reading, writing, and arithmetic, was a large focus of my schooling when in elementary school, which formed the base in which I would later grow upon. The education that was given to me formed a well-rounded student that has the tools to solve problems and find information that is sought after.

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.

I think it is important to start answering the question of what it really means to be liberally educated. Is this a question that is different for every individual in how they see education and define it? Why do we need to have the liberal arts in our lives? Why do we spend so much time with learning the liberal arts? As a society we feel the need to be

Personally, I agree with Delbanco and I deeply believe that liberal education is a great tool for students because it gives them an opportunity to discover and pursue their passions. As far as I am concerned, one of the most common mistakes society makes is to consider education from an instrumental view, with the only purpose of getting a job. This mentality limits students who only focus on passing the subject and do not often go deep to the heart of

I have become confident in my belief of the Liberalist philosophy of education. Liberalism is viewed as freedom from tradition and authority; hence, being synonymous with self-actualization. Plato believed that unless people had philosophers as kings, or the people who are currently called kings and rulers practice philosophy with enough integrity there can be no end to political troubles or even to human troubles in general. Moreover, according to Prins & Drayton, power for others, for power is not a

According to Newman “A specialty school cultivates your mind in a certain way, but deprives you in others” (47). He argues that by focusing solely on the academic aspect of a university, people are being robbed of the strong spiritual attachment and willingness to uphold morality. This privilege to taste the different areas of knowledge at a university allows students to formulate their own opinion for what it is that they want to do with their lives. So, a liberal education helps to develop a love for a certain specialization, and the morality that pushes people to uphold what is right in order to succeed in whatever they have chosen as their careers.