The Importance Of Liberal Arts Education

William Cronon in his article, “Only Connect . . .” defines liberal education as “not something any of us ever achieve; it is not a state. Rather, it is a way of living in the face of our own ignorance, a way of groping toward wisdom in full recognition of our folly, a way of educating ourselves without any illusion that our educations will ever be complete” (5). Being liberally education means you are open to learn and knowing that is there no limit to how much you can learn. Personally I think this is a very important topic especially to me because I am the first in my family to go away to a university. I value education and it is a true privilege for me to attend Belmont University. Thus far, I consider myself to almost fully liberally

In the article, What Should It Mean to Have a Liberal Education in the 21st Century?, D.G. Mulcahy presents Paul Hirst’s view of the traditional liberal education. Hirst, qtd. in Mulcahy’s article, explains that traditionally there are seven subjects of knowledge that humanity has used to understand reality. These seven subjects are math, the physical sciences, human culture throughout history, morality, art, religion, and philosophy (Mulcahy 469). These subjects are part of the majority of colleges’ liberal education or general education curriculum. While this is the intent of the more traditional Liberal Arts education, the system has evolved to meet the needs of a modern society.

First and foremost there needs to be an established understanding of what liberal arts are. In the article “Why Choose Liberal Arts?” Mark William Roche explains that liberal arts were originally intended for free men, those who weren’t being educated for the sole purpose of gaining a livelihood, but rather for the sake of being educated and included things like grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, music and astronomy. He then goes on to clarify the meaning of liberal arts today as “a general education that is a broad grounding in the diverse disciplines.” Furthermore, in his article, “The Liberal Arts Bubble” John Agresto writes that today liberal arts are still called liberal not

For centuries, a liberal arts education was a sign of a well-rounded, creative individual. However, in an ever changing era, a liberal arts education is nothing more than an example of how little people enjoy change. Nowadays, numerous jobs require basic to intermediate computer skills, literacy in basic business and economic concepts, and a remedial understanding of geography, social customs, and current events. The core curriculum of a liberal arts education, which includes history, math, art, science, English, literature, and a variety of social sciences, needs to be expanded to encompass the subjects people encounter every day in the 21st century. This paper is directed towards a general audience dedicated to improving centers of

What is a liberal arts education? Many students think that a liberal arts education just teaches students what they need to know for their future job. However, according to Arthur Holmes, in his essay Liberal Arts, a Liberal arts education “concentrates on what shapes a person’s understanding and values rather than on what he can use in one or two of the changing roles he might later play” (Timmerman and Hettinga 387-388). Liberal arts does not focus only on developing the mind, but also developing the character of the student (387). A liberal arts education is practical because it reinforces the knowledge students should already know (Stull, Richard Allen 39). For example, in high school everyone was required to learn the history of the nation and the world, but upon coming to college, the student learns the history of his major. This year I am taking

Liberal Education isn’t focused on the political aspect of liberalism, however focuses on liberating its students by giving students space to explore their passions deeply. This exploration cannot happen in an education program that is built off of individualism and its exclusivity must constantly be challenged. As Cronon states, “We should remember the powerful class and gender biases that were built into this vision of freedom. The “free man” who studied the Liberal Arts were male aristocrats; these specialized bodies of knowledge were status markers that set them apart from “unfree” serfs and peasants, as well as from the members of other vulgar and ignoble classes. Our modern sense of Liberal Education has expanded from this medieval foundation to include a greater range of human talents and a much more inclusive number of human beings, holding out at least the dream that everyone might someday be liberated by an education that stands in the service of human freedom” (Olejarz, 2017). Liberal Education isn’t about mastering a particular subject. Instead Liberal Education is about mastering positive characteristics that foster a deeper sense of personal identity and cultivate human freedom.

The meaning and purpose of a liberal arts education are to achieve education further than merely college core, but also to prepare you for future occupations. A liberal arts education introduces profession opportunities and builds a foundation

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,

Firstly, ‘education’ indicates that there is a process by which I’m acquiring, learning, and developing knowledge. It’s inherently suggesting an appropriation of knowledge, not just information. I’ll be adopting a way of thinking, not just absorbing instruction or skill in a particular area. Secondly, ‘liberal arts’ suggests to me that there will a broad and vast range of study, not a rigidly-specific one. I anticipate studying anything from Renaissance painters to Romantic poets, Neuroscience to Business Ethics. Being well-rounded and multi-disciplinary in education means much more than simply being eclectic in choice of courses; it’s about being diverse in exposure such that a student, like myself, can see the relativity that exists underneath. In my interpretation, the term ‘liberal arts education’ invites the connotation of foundation, or establishment—a solid, fertile environment from which to grow as a student, thinker, and

A Liberal Arts Education is beneficial to me because it expands my knowledge about different aspects of life, and as an actress I need to be aware of different ways of thinking or feeling. Learning about different cultures, different types of histories, new perspectives and how to communicate and write will improve my ability to transform into characters on stage and create a realistic story that an audience can follow. Also, learning new material whether or not it is directly related to my major can expand my own personal knowledge and beliefs which can then potentially make me a better person. I believe that the more a person learns, the more room they have to grow and be the best they can be, which is what employers want from them.

In the American education system the liberal arts system has given many students a chance to explore many different subjects and career opportunities rather than one choice. In the American education system especially in high school and college years students have a greater opportunity to discover new and different classes. It gives the student a greater opportunity to learn different amounts of information. When I was in high school I took a class on “Theory of Knowledge”. The class gave me chance to better understand about how people have different viewpoints and having different reasons. In class we would have a discussion about people, culture, philosophy, history and etc. When I was taking this class I learned so much on certain thought

In an era of ever-increasing costs of college expenses, concerned parents and stressed high school students face one crucial decision with an important tradeoff to consider: whether or not the alleged intellectual and personal benefits of a liberal arts-based college education substantially outweigh the overarching societal stigma that such a degree is obsolete and the financial burden of the extensive student loan debts that many families may incur as a result of this type of education. For these families and their minds spinning with unanswered questions, Fareed Zakaria takes the complicated matter and confronts it head-on, arguing that a liberal arts-educated population is a necessity for the success of both the individuals themselves and

Excellence for students is the ability for them to strive to be the best they can be. This is

Relation to the Liberal Arts The liberal arts are a set of subjects and skills considered necessary to free a person from the repression of ignorance, and to give a free person the knowledge and abilities that enables them to have an active and productive role in the community. In other words, the purpose of a liberal arts education is to produce a person with virtues and ethics; one who is knowledgeable in many aspects and exceedingly articulate. The Bhagavad-Gita, the Allegory of the Cave, and the Rule of St. Benedict, all contain messages that relate to the liberal arts and their roles. “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32), these are eternal words given to us by Saint John the Evangelist.

Imagine a world with no books. No novels, no magazines, no newspapers. Imagine a world with no entertainment. No movies, no television, no news. Imagine a world where we don’t know our past. We as humans don’t know where we came from or what we have done. Imagine a world with no art. It is difficult to envision such an existence as more than a fairy tale, yet this is seemingly what the American society desires. When the American public education invests all of its time and money into science, technology, engineering, and math careers (STEM), it is actively devaluing the careers and subjects that the American culture depends on. Liberal arts classes- the language, arts and social sciences-are forced to take a back burner while STEM classes assume