In Defense Of A Liberal Education Sparknotes

Liberalism, in general, was an ideological movement that emerged out of the ideas of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. It embraced the ideas of individualism which were established in the Renaissance and Reformation era. The Renaissance period sparked a belief in the importance of the individual in society. It helped promote the beliefs of classical liberalism which gradually formed into the liberal ideology of the 19th century. Individuals that were waiting to get their individual rights and freedoms were allowed to finally gain liberty and power through this period of time. Classical liberalism developed

Cronon states that there are ten major things that a liberally educated person does, which all involve learning from things around oneself and connecting to things in some way shape or form. In the text it says that having a liberal education is not something we can achieve, but actually a way of living in the face of our own ignorance.

Published in Harper's Magazine’s September 1997 issue, Mark Edmundson’s essay, “On the Uses of Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students,” presents a very personal argument for an apparent crisis in liberal education–the lack of passion in students. According to Edmundson, a professor at the University of Virginia, “liberal-arts education is as ineffective as it is now…[because] university culture, like American culture writ large, is, to put it crudely, ever more devoted to consumption and entertainment, to the using and using up of goods and images” (723). He believes that consumer culture is responsible for students’ dispassionate attitude towards his class because they view liberal education as a paid service or product that should cater to their wishes. Further, he writes that universities feed into consumer culture, maintaining a “relationship with students [that] has a solicitous, nearly servile tone” (725). In this way, Edmundson lays out the reasons for why he thinks liberal education is failing.

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.

College offers a wide variety of educational aspects. In “Why America’s Obsession with STEM is Dangerous,” Fareed Zakaria explains the issues involving the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) educational system and explains the need for a liberal educational system. Zakaria says we need more creative, innovative, and critical thinkers, which can be achieved through a liberal education. He also says that we need the skills that come with a STEM education, but those can also be achieved through liberal education. A narrow study helps you receive a specific job, but a broad education allows you to explore the economical depths of work. Fareed Zakaria’s essay exemplifies rhetorical strategies and the three means of persuasion

The question at hand is, should all of those who have the academic ability to absorb a college level liberal education get one? Murray’s point through out his essay is not to discredit eduction, it is simply to question if the traditional path of obtaining a degree is necessary for all career paths. He uses the persuasion technique of credibility to back this claim by citing E.D. Hirsch Jr.’s book, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. Hirsch’s book hits three main points which are that full participation in any culture requires familiarity with a core body of knowledge. This core knowledge is an important part of the

“What Is College For” by Andrew Delbanco, shows the need for both a universal college system; one which caters for all of society, and one which provides a liberal education. Delbanco gives many reasoned thoughts on how, and why the college system has become restricted, to purely those of a higher socio-economic background, rather than being exclusive to people of all backgrounds. The idea of college being a platform for people to learn, advance their skills, and become whatever they want to be has seemingly diminished over time. The ideas in favor of such an educational system are put forward, but they are foreshadowed in my opinion, by the notion that people should have the same educational opportunities in life; regardless of their economic or social background. A universal education system is needed for our society to prosper, especially if it provides a liberal education; this is not just for the individuals that make up a community, but for the community, as a whole.

There is a reason why my college counselors always pushed for us to look into liberal arts colleges. With liberal education, you get to experience much more than you think is possible. Not only does one take classes that are specific to their major but they are also required to explore other fields that they might have thought was wrong for them. As the reading, “Only Connect…” The Goals of a Liberal Education by William Cronon phrases, liberal education not only deals with what a student learns in their classroom but it also involves the concepts of an individual’s freedom and growth. At first, I thought I only like the idea of studying abroad in South Korea because I watched Korean dramas and listened to their music. But during my time at Denison, I had the opportunity to take classes about the eastern world. I’ve learned about their culture, their history, and even their language. I’ve expanded my knowledge far wider than I thought I would ever. This opportunity to study abroad through CIEE is not just me trying to get my own satisfaction, but it is an

To discuss the value of liberal education, there should be a mutual understanding that investing in college means to invest in oneself. Furthermore, while some consider this investment to be a critical stepping stone to success, others dismiss it, explaining that school simply cannot prepare someone for the “real world.” Sanford J. Ungar and Robert Reich explore both of these subjective values in their essays “The New Liberal Arts” and “College is a Ludicrous Waste of Money.” Ungar, the president of Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, discusses why a liberal education should be sought after; he does so by introducing common misconceptions about liberal arts and, using argumentative persuasion, proves their insignificance. On the other hand, Reich, the former secretary of labor, argues against the conventional belief of college being the only road to financial wellbeing; rather, he explains why a two-year education may better accommodate many college students, especially those in need of immediate work or those that simply cannot afford a four-year education. In all, although both Reich and Ungar generally discuss liberal education, their perspectives differ when it comes to its practicality in the current economy. Also, to express their different views about liberal arts, the authors use contrasting tones to present their ideas to different intended audiences.

While the term liberal education is heard from the most prestigious university to an inner city community college, the phrase itself has a hazy definition at best. While educators across America struggle with the definition of the phrase, William Cronon uses purpose, structure, and appeals in his essay "Only Connect: The Goals of Liberal education," to define a liberally educated being and the characteristics that such an education should impart. Cronon capitalizes on inductive structuring to lead the reader along, gently building each new statement upon a foundation of previous ideas. This effectively leads the reader to a strange

In James V, Schall’s A Students Guide to Liberal Learning, he addresses the idea and importance of an authentic liberal arts education. Schall inquires about books and scholars of which centralize around the idea of a liberal education and of which has shaped our society. Schall examines the works of several authors who are in his opinion the guides to learning, and his essay serves as a fundamental building block for the creation of a “Personal Library”.

He challenges widespread expectation of all middle-class Americans: “‘vocational training’ is second class. ‘College’ is first class” (Murray 632). This passage, while appearing to offer a simple definition to the reader in order for him or her to be informed of the subject matter argued herein, already states his position in the matter.

Fareed Zakaria is a global think, columnist, and CNN host. His lecture was about defending the liberal arts education, and how Americans are losing sight of liberal arts education. Zakaria compared American education system with other developed countries in making his claim of the importance of liberal arts. He claims that American is doing better than most other developed countries, even if US academic scores are bad.

Individual’s life choice narrows by the social cognition. The educational hegemony plants root in people’s mind that Wall Street is the best place to work. However, Wall Street people must dedicate their lives on a financial circle. Ho states the situation, “This early and intense branding of Wall Street careers as the symbol of arrival, the equating of investment banking with ‘career’ in general, serves to narrow students’ notions of success and gives the impression that for graduates, there’s nothing else out there besides investment banking and consulting” (Ho 171). People who study in top universities are told to work in investment banking and consulting as a success. People regard their schools as a symbol to measure their abilities. This recognition can see as a stereotype, which the graduates from famous schools must do several job in several fields, such as business, political or economic. The ideological hegemony indeed gives people options to choose, but also limits the options and closes people’s mind to discover what they really want. The purpose of education is to help people learn critical thinking. Once the hegemony appears, the ability of critical thinking is deprived in some degree. Nevertheless, Nafisi as a female teacher realizes that the current school environment always lets her feel helpless and she says, “Teaching in the Islamic Republic, like any other