Liberal Arts Education Analysis

High school seniors are faced with a wide variety of decisions as they approach graduation. They must decide whether or not they are going to attend college, begin working, or do something else. If they do decide to attend college, they also must decide whether to pursue a liberal arts education or a vocational one. A liberal arts education primarily includes a collection of different classes and topics students can choose to take and study. A vocational route will mainly educate students on their specific intended career. Each method of education can be argued for and against.

Going to college for many students is just a normal part of life. It is what will enable them to get an education that eventually will lead to get a well-paid job and the resources and the status to live a comfortable life. But for college professor, Andrew Delbanco, the American college has a higher purpose. In the article “College at Risk”, Delbanco states that colleges should be promoting critical thinking among students, through knowledge of the past and the interaction with each other; as well as, help them discover their talents and passions and figure out what they want to do in life. This type of education is called liberal arts and for Delbanco, it represents the ideal education.

There are advantages to this though, someone who gets a liberal arts degree might be better at certain things such as comprehension, problem solving, and critical thinking. Many of those skills are wanted by employers when they are looking to hire a college graduate. On the other hand, Murray believes pursuing a liberal arts degree is a waste of time. Murray, claims are mostly valid because on average it takes longer for a liberal arts graduate to find a job, and they start off making less than the average professional career. He believes people are looking for innovators not just

In addition to this modern philosophy, he mends a potential gap of knowledge between college students and students that follow another route. He proposes that a liberal education, a style that can only be given in college, should be given in primary education, giving a sense of equality between grade levels from primary to secondary schooling. As an effect, the stress of needing a degree diminishes and respect for people with or without one becomes indistinguishable. Murray stresses the importance to the

In Charles Murray’s essay “Are Too Many People Going to College,” he believes that the concept of college has changed over the years. According to him, a four-year college is no longer as necessary as it was when it was first created because most jobs requires more on job training. He also adds to his reasoning by mentioning that because of the advancement of internet, physical libraries and the physical proximity of student and teachers is less important. Because of the changes he noticed he believes that people should go to college but not for liberal education. He makes the claim that the basic core knowledge of liberal education should be learned in elementary and middle school and that only people with high academic abilities should be encouraged to go to college.

American historian, Russell Kirk once said, “True education is meant to develop the individual human being, the person, rather than to serve the state.” A liberal arts education focuses on developing students into productive citizens by preparing them for future careers, while building their character. Seen as a new approach for further insight and critical thinking, a liberal arts education provides students with a broader worldview for general understanding and problem solving. In his article, “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar combats common liberal arts misperceptions that prevent future students from attaining a liberal arts degree. Many students believe a liberal arts education is irrelevant; thus, leaving students to futilely

David Foster Wallace: Kenyon Commencement Speech Attending college is commonly seen as a time of life for learning how to think; David Foster Wallace disagrees in his Kenyon commencement speech. Although Wallace acknowledges that a typical commencement speech consists of uplifting messages about the human value of a liberal arts education, he instead expresses what a liberal arts education means to him. Rather than a liberal arts education teaching students how to think for themselves—which is now common belief—Wallace instead expresses that a liberal arts education teaches students to exercise control over how and what to think. To clarify, he explains, “it means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and

Ever wanted to throw down that textbook and read something enjoyable for once? Well, go ahead! Chunk that dull textbook out a window and pick up a comic; it will be more beneficial to your education than you think. The skills and values that liberally educated people should posses can vary from different views, yet the list of ten qualities that William Cronon created in his article, “’Only Connect…’ The Goals of a Liberal Education”(1998), is an inspirational goal for the liberally educated. Cronon’s list of qualities includes solving problems and puzzles, empowering others, and understanding how to get stuff done in the world.

Summary In chapter three “In the defense of a Liberal Education” author Fareed Zakaria opens up what he believes to be “central virtue of liberal education”(72). He writes that it teaches one how to think critically and clearly. He explains that thinking is the stronger advantage one could have in writing well. Before writing it helps first people to think in a critical sense so work should be using simple language in a well comprehendible way.

Critical thinking is a part of every day life in order to become a fair-minded thinker. Within the next couple of years I am hoping to become an educator for future Surgical Technologist in our hospital. We as adults working in the medical field have to you utilize this on a daily basis, but being human we all fall short to often. The ability to analyze a concept objectively, considering the facts and differing perspectives to reach a sound, logical conclusion is thinking critically (Mendes, 2017).

King has provided his opinion about education is building character. Dr. King uses his words to create an audience awareness to think for yourself isn’t the same as you may call it critical thinking. Against the common assumption that colleges should teach their students “critical reasoning,” Dr. King argues that critical thinking alone is insufficient and even dangerous. Teaching one to think critically is no small task. Most students learn by constructing knowledge based on an engaged learning process rather than by absorbing knowledge from passive sources.

Furthermore, she argues how it is difficult to encounter careers that correlate with a degree. In the closing of her essay, she uses examples to prove that many people who possess careers due to their degree do not actually learn how to do their job from college but on the job. She ends the essay by implying that America should find better ways for students to mature and prepare for their

“America’s university system is creating a class-riven nation. There has to be a better way,” starts Murray (235). Are Too Many People Going To College is a piece written highlighting alternatives to traditional education, as well as the repercussions we are facing as a society as a result of the strict guidelines of traditional education; a point that is spotlighted throughout the piece is the subject of Liberal Education and the core knowledge that we as a people should maintain, as well as the flaws of college as an establishment. Though the title and points made in the writings of Murray may lead one to believe he is standing against the college establishment, it is clearly stated from paragraph one that he believes more people should be

Rereading America: Introduction The Introductory Chapter defines what it means to be a critical thinker: someone who is an active learner with the ability to shape, rather than simply absorb information. To encourage students to practice critical thinking, the author uses myths as his chosen medium, particularly those found in American culture. He points out that the culture we live in shapes the way we think; he tells us what seems to true and what does not. While it simplifies our life, it also blinds us and that is what the author hopes to point out.

In my experience, what Martin Luther King Jr. calls “thinking intensively and critically” is very different from what my high school teachers called “critical thinking”, most especially by the way Dr. King links intelligence and learning to the development of character, that is, growth as a person. Too often in my past, teachers mentioned critical thinking only as a mental activity of seeing through stereotypes, evaluating both sides of issues and understanding and accepting differences. As worthwhile as these are, I have found that high level thinking without having a more enlightened character is simply inadequate. That was a recent, very positive experience with two very nice people of different faiths. As much as we had been taught in class about prejudice, the recent terrorists attacks across the world bred a good deal of ill-will in