Why choose a liberal arts education?

In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of criticisms and doubs about a traditional liberal arts education. One recent criticism can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/books/25human.html

The demand for practical degrees (e.g., business, education, nursing) is on the rise, and when colleges can supply this demand, they make money. Higher education is a business like many others, and market demands must be met in order to continue competing in the market. So, why keep English or Philosophy or Religion around? If they are not required for a job, who should care about dead languages or ancient dramas? Why should anyone want to remember the distinction between Odysseus and Thrasymachus?

In my view, there are at least three important reasons to study traditional liberal arts fields. First, the liberal arts (literature, languages, philosophy, history, math, and science) introduce you to information that increases your ability to engage reality. What does this mean? If you know what Machiavelli said about politicians, then you will know what someone means who says, “That’s very Machiavellian.” If you understand the Hegelian dialectic, you will be more likely to react to a trend with caution, rather than rashly charging in the opposite direction. If you understand what Dewey wrote on the philosophy of learning, you will likely treat older audiences differently than younger audiences in your presentations, and you may substitute a more interactive teaching approach, rather than merely lecturing. This sort of information increases your ability to successfully wade the waters of reality.

Second, traditional liberal arts degress develop your ability to critically think through an issue. Rather than simply presenting the results of experiments and the accepted theories in a field, liberal arts courses help you engage this information by teaching you to ask hard, critical questions of it. What assumptions are being made? Are those assumptions plausible? Are the results accurate? Do researchers draw inappropriate or fallacious inferences from data? The ability to conduct this type of systematic query, using the tools of logic and language, increases your ability to understand, communicate, and solve significant problems in your life. Liberal arts courses include a critical component for the express purpose of helping you develop this skill.

And finally, in exposing you to insights from centuries of critical reflection on reality, you learn more about yourself–who you are as a human, where you fit into society, how you can contribute to making the world a better place. Rather than fostering self-centeredness, liberal arts courses help you identify you in the context of your intellecual and cultural climate. Understanding that  many Hindus still believe in reincarnation and that many Muslims do not, forces you to consider where you stand in relation to these belief systems and why. In asking (and hopefully answering) important “why” questions, you develop a richer sense of self than you would merely memorizing the periodic table.

So, should you avoid practical degrees? BY NO MEANS. Some people are best suited for a life of practice. And, let’s face it, there aren’t many job adverts for “Liberal Arts Major.” My point is simply that a liberal arts major is fulfilling and empowering, and that liberal arts courses are a powerful supplement to any practical degree.

For more on the benefits of a liberal arts education, visit these sites:

http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~janzb/humanities/humcareers.htm

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/2008/12/18/learn-philosophy.html