The Importance Of Liberal Education

In the 1997 article, “On The Uses of a Liberal Education: As a Weapon In the Hands of the Restless Poor,” published by Harper’s Magazine, the social critic Earl Shorris described how political power could be achieved by a rather non-vocational educational discipline, the humanities. He emphasizes on how the knowledge of a liberal Education can be used as a form of weapon within the lives for the poor.

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”.

This is because his theory of learning serving intelligence coincides with my own thought that the point of an education is to prepare me for a career. The information I will learn at Baylor will translate into intelligence I have over my chosen field, thus increasing the importance of a liberal education now. As seen in my own high school, a liberal education is not as prevalent but instead the presence of a standardized learning system is overpowering to the students including myself. This system doesn’t prepare for the complexity of the real world thus, further emphasizing the importance of a liberal education.

Secondly, they read and understand. This means that an educated person can be able to read a part of a scientific research paper and enjoy it, but also they can also for example watch an episode of say, Saturday Night Live and laugh at the jokes and enjoy that as much as the scientific journals. Third, an educated person can talk. By this it doesn’t mean you can just talk, it means that you can carry on a conversation with someone and they be able to understand you. Fourthly, they can write. Cronon believes that a liberally educated person can move people with their writing, make them read more and most of all make people learn from reading. Fifth, they can solve a wide variety of puzzles and problems. This doesn’t mean just word searches and the occasional crossword puzzle but it means actual real world problems or jobs. Sixth, they respect rigor as a way of seeking truth. This here just basically says that if you work hard you will figure out the truth of things. Seventh, they practice humility, tolerance, and self-criticism. People who are liberally educated are able to step out of their own prejudice despite how they were raised, and

to understand each branch of the tree better if you can see how it is involved

2. Zakery stated that liberal education is a critical component of a free and democratic society in page 110 by saying “ A liberal education would ensure the survival of democracy….All form of government could degenerate into tyranny. The best way of preventing this is to eliminate as far as practical, the mind of people at large. Having the ability to think and being able to developed your ideas makes you a great leader and lead you a free and democratic society.

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.

Now that I am in college, I have pondered upon whether a liberal arts education is better than a vocational education; a topic that did not cross my mind in high school. A liberal arts curriculum includes the studies intended to primarily provide general knowledge such as language, philosophy, literature, and abstract science and to develop general intellectual capacities, such as reason and judgment, as opposed to professional or vocational skills (merriam-webster.com). As students wanting to achieve a higher education, we have to think about what we want for ourselves. Either you want to grow as an individual and obtain a major in whichever field you chose, or just learn what best interests you. People have many misconceptions toward what the liberal arts are and how they can benefit you. We often hear things like, “A liberal arts degree will not get you a real job.” or “A liberal arts degree is a luxury not a necessity.” Although this is what the majority of the people who are not aware about the actual facts say, this is not true. An examination of, The New Liberal Arts by author Sanford J. Ungar, and Are Too Many People Going to College? by author Charles Murray, will reveal to us why one gains more knowledge at a liberal arts school. Murray argues that a liberal arts education is only for the elite, but I believe that they shouldn 't be the only ones to attend because my vision of a liberal arts college is one where all students come in with the appropriate amount of

In today's society, students are questioned on their degrees and studies. If a student studies a certain topic, their relatives may wonder and question what type of life is set out for the child based on their education. Although others may fail to see what students will do with their knowledge, the student withholds capabilities that extend beyond their own knowledge. With the obtained knowledge the students possess, they could change the world. These topics that seem to have no use to a student are called the Liberal Arts. In an article titled "Why We Need the Liberal Arts" by Joseph R. Urgo, from The Baltimore Sun, these philosophies and theories are explained and brought to a further extent.

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

Time has changed, this is the twenty-first century but instead of growing in education, there is an increase in population instead. Liberal education is way more important in college I believe liberal itself explains the meaning, which means education teaches a person to think broadly. There used to be a time when it all started with a small population who went to the college but now these colleges does not have many criteria and allow everyone in the college. The high scorer and average students are studying together, unfortunately no competition. I still remember my time when I came to high school there was high demand for the grades to get into a good school but now when I see my brother admitting in the same school without putting the efforts that I put, seems bad and frustrating. There was the value of grades in our era but now it 's about who so ever have more money and can afford, will win it. Mr. Andrew said that education is expensive and it should not only be a machine producing students for the jobs or employment. And he stated in his interview “work better to keep this space for self-reflection”(2012). But I believe that liberal education is meant to make a human, a good person for himself as well as for his nation. Moreover, Mr. Andrew made a very good point that colleges help out young students to help out figure their talent and make them motivated enough to choose a career for themselves.

Like seemingly everything else in 2017, an article I read discussing the results of the 2016 presidential election was the inspiration for the research paper. While browsing the comments of said article (I believe it was one analyzing Betsy DeVos’ cabinet nomination), I discovered a small quarrel over the benefits of a liberal arts education. I had been told the benefits of a liberal arts education was quite a debate by a professor during my first semester at Bellarmine, but I had never before witnessed how serious it could be. Previously, I had only had a small debate with my rather conservative uncle who was distressed I was getting a “liberal” education from what he thought had been an upstanding Catholic school.

In focusing so much on how many people are not intellectual, and how wrong a liberal education is for most students, or how it might not be a great idea, and how it’s the social norm, Murray overlooks the positivity of a liberal arts education and how it can impact our society in a great way for many people.in one instance Murray deliberately tries to debunk the B.A degree by stating the numbers of those who don’t successfully achieve stating “a rheid of all those who entered college hoping for B.A leave without one”(252). He fails to state the figures of those who succeed in getting a B.A degree compared to high school students and the positive of rate of return for a person he’s blinded and doesn't show the attributes of getting a B.A the

Liberal Education is an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world in fields of science, culture, and society, as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

The value a liberal education has for me is almost immeasurable. I say this because I come from an immigrant family and will be the first to have completed college. Since I was a child my family always stressed how important a