June 13, 2012
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Liberal Arts – Still relevant?
Steve Jobs once said: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with Liberal Arts, married with the Humanities that yields us the result that makes our heart sing”
Recently some state and national leaders here in the US have questioned the value of a liberal arts education; they want more stress on science, math and other “more valuable” areas of study.
What do you think? Are too many students wasting their time in college on Literature, Art, Music, History, Humanities, etc, when they should be studying Math, Science, and Engineering?
Comments (9)
Liberal arts comprise our cultural memory. Without them we forget who we are as a civilization.
Dear Socrates,
I was delighted to see your username/image in my inbox, cause I’ve been thinking of you and your country lately, which is seems to be gaining a lot of negative press re austerity measures, protests against them, and the economic disaster which might or might not befall Greece or all of Europe if the country decides to withdraw from the Eurozone. ( Matter of fact, two of the oldest civilizations which come to mind were based in Greece and Egypt, and both countries are in the news endlessly these days because of their political and financial troubles.)
I can only speak from experience. I studied the liberal arts through college, and planned on a career in education. Family tragedy changed my course. I dropped out of college after four years. I probably make more money in my career in elecrical engineering than I ever would have teaching. I use more “scientific” methods on the job than artistic ones, however my artistic bent has possibly helped me to solve “scientific” problems.
It was “technology” (specifically, the emergence of the internet, which provided a platform) which reignited my own artistic tendencies, and now instead of working late into the night building the latest panel for a client, I go home and sometimes exercise my muse.
Liberal Arts will always be relevant. And I’m always delighted to see art and literature is still vibrant among young people, even though “popular culture” sometimes seems to consist of mindless movie sequels based on toys and music simply sampled from decades previous.
I believe that as long as there is a “humanity” there will be a need, thirst, and a means to exercise humanity’s artistic tendencies. As someone who has dabbled in both the arts and sciences, I certainly believe there should be a place for both in the system of education.
Orson Welle’s delicious character Harry Lime in the post WWII film “The Third Man” has a speech which has stuck with me for years. and I quote: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” In my own essay simply titled “History” I relate that no matter how debased and disgusting mankind has been throughout history, he always seems to be able to create amazing art.
If we stop teaching the young the methods of creativity, the world will become an even worse place for us. Besides, according to a book written by another great seer who just passed into the Universal, if a dictatorial society goes so far as to burn all the books, some people will possibly just memorize them.
Perhaps it’s time to just obliterate the supposed barriers between art and science. An enlightened soul might argue that they are two sides of the same coin.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
I think this over simplifies the problems in our education system here in America. The issue is not just Liberal or general education. The issue is too much coursework that has nothing to do with the major. Quite often most of college is just a repeat of high school which is just a repeat of middle school. Can we end all this madness? After high school most general education should be done. Start teaching skills, get them licensed or certified in something in 1 to 2 years after high school. Stop the madness. I see 1 to two year programs that should be done in 6 weeks at most. Quit ripping people off and calling it education!
Liberal arts educations are fine. But not for 20K-40K a year (unless you have the money to spend). Government involvement in student loans has allowed the cost of education to sky rocket beyond its actual worth.
Due to the uninspired question, you’ll get an uninspired answer: Yes. Liberal Arts will always be relevant.
@baldmike2004 - Hi Mike
As you know I have always been in the forefront of ideas and after deciding that my homeland had abandoned me, I moved West. My native land is a poor shadow of what it once was. Did you know the Sound-and-light production featuring the Parthenon -which can be seen and heard all over Athens is never broadcast in Greek?
Even the last remnant of my pupil, Plato’s Academy – an ancient olive tree – was run over and destroyed by a truck some years ago.
You are, of course right about the false barriers between Science and the Humanities and the danger the Humanities always face.
@RobertLeeRE - @whataboutbahb -
American Education has a good many problems – the curriculum is just one. In the case of public education, you get what you pay for and we no longer have bright and dedicated women willing to work for joke wages and subsidizing the system. Colleges are delighted to encourage the growth of the college loan industry – they are making millions and that plus their (in most cases) athletics moneymakers allow them to offer classes which, as you say, are jokes. On the other hand, perhaps the major problem is that education through college BA is everyone’s right – no matter how ill prepared or dumb they are.
@crim077 -
I take it that you do not think this subject is worthy of discussion. That’s interesting. Why? Do you have another more important idea to ponder?
@Socrates_Cafe - Not true–No one gets what they pay for. All students deserve something better then fraudulent claims and inflated degree values. The school industry must be regulated to prtect the masses and the huge interest that government already has in with all the school loan guarentees.
@Socrates_Cafe -
Public education pre-college and public universities are generally two different stories. There are a ton of great professors at public universities–getting a job as a professor, especially in the humanities is extremely competitive. The problem is that going into 100-150K debt to attend a private university for a degree in english, philosophy, political science, etc., is most likely not worth it in terms of the job prospects post-graduation.
I agree that it might be problematic to expect everyone to get a college degree. It dilutes the value of the degree (even while tuition continually rises), and it keeps around students who have little interest in learning and just want to wait 4-5 years before getting a job that shouldn’t require a college degree.
If schools were free, I’d encourage my kids (if I had em) to get a liberal arts education. But since they have to pay for that education with their sweat, I’d encourage them to get something that would pay off in a career/job direction. I’m still paying my education 10 years after leaving school, and I will be doing so until I’m 50, so that leaves little time for the finer things in life. If they really care about getting a liberal arts education, they can always pursue an independent course of study in their spare time. E.g., I’m currently reading some of the great books of English literature just for the fun of it.