If recent years, the value of a liberal education has been called into question. A liberal education focuses on the arts and humanities, as well as the sciences and mathematics. The term “liberal arts education” has tragically been misconstrued in recent years. The term implies that one only learns the arts and other areas that are not “relevant” in the modern, computerized world. However, this is wrong. The term liberal arts education focuses the knowledge and fields necessary to create an individual who can freely think for himself or herself. In this way, a liberal arts education is crucial in the modern world and in particular, a country that values personal freedom, such as the United States of America.
A liberal arts education does not focus on any one area. It is not like a vocational education in which an individual learns one specific area, such as computer repair or automobile repair. It is important to recognize that these areas of education are most certainly of value. In reality, not everyone wishes to pursue an education that focuses on the broadening one’s horizons and expanding one’s mind. There is a need for vocational education. However, there is a need for the wide-type of education that a liberal arts education provides as well.
A liberal arts education provides the individual with an all-encompassing view of the world and its history. It allows the individual to understand how the human culture arrived at the current place in her history. It ensures that the person recognizes the patterns in history and society, as well as the patterns in the natural world. These patterns will repeat themselves. As a result of this education, the individual can recognize the likelihood that they will arrive in the near future. For instance, if an individual is properly educated in history and economics, he or she would have been more likely to recognize that during the early part of the Twenty-First Century, the economy had reached a similar place as the 1920s. The economic crash would not have been as shocking to this person.
The economic crash is a clear example as to why a liberal arts education is of value. Tragically, many individuals view a liberal arts education as an education that does not provide job security. It is the opposite. During the economic crash, many individuals lost their jobs and their careers. It is not likely that these individuals went back into the same field as they had left. If a person is only trained in one area, he or she must find a career in that same area. However, a person with a broad based education has more chances. He or she is familiar with a wide range of disciplines and fields. A person can be trained in any job provided that he or she has a good education and the ability to think critically. If there is one thing that a liberal arts education offers, it is these skills.
Unfortunately, modern American society focuses on the idea that college prepares a person for a “job” or a “career.” The modern American society does not work in this way though. Many individuals do not spend forty years in the same job today. The society has learned to transition to a more mobile society. The goal of a university education is not to offer a person the opportunity for a job. Rather, it is to offer a person the opportunity for an education. When a person graduates, he or she should not “be” a specific job title. Rather, when a person graduates, he or she should be educated. The person can then fulfill the requirements for a job. Obviously, there are specific jobs that must be focused upon during one’s education, such as nurse or medical technologist. It must be noted that these fields can be studied at a community college or vocational school because of this. However, there are many jobs out there that any liberal arts graduate can fulfill. A person does not need to study one specific field. Rather, the wide variety of fields that a person studies in this type of education teaches one to think critical. Critical thinking skills allow a person to work through any number of problems. This is true not only for a career, but also for life. In this way, a liberal arts education prepares a person to earn a living and to also make a life.
One of the reasons why liberal arts education is considered unnecessary is because mathematics and sciences are so useful in the modern world. The constant competition to develop faster and better technology and gadgets requires strong mathematics and scientific skills. However, it is important to realize that a liberal arts education includes mathematics and scientific classes. It also encourages individuals to “think outside the box.” These skills are also necessary for the development of new technology. It is doubtful that any major technological breakthrough would have occurred if the person does not explore other avenues. The greatest scientific thinkers in the world had a broad-based education. It is doubtful that Da Vinci, Copernicus and Galileo would have been such great individuals if they did not have a broad-based education.
For that matter, the greatest rebirth of knowledge and discovery in the world was the Renaissance. The Enlightenment then helped to develop the scientific method. These periods embraced the idea of a broad education. This education included literature, math, history, philosophy, music and other fields. This type of education helped to change the world. It led to the philosophers and thinkers who provided the basis for the American political system. The American Revolution would not have occurred if not for liberal education. In this way, it is apparent that it changed the world. Since this type of political system still exists today, the educational basis for it is obviously still relevant.
A liberal arts education is clearly useful today and relevant. It allows the individual the opportunity to explore a wide number of fields and areas. It allows the individual the opportunity to broaden his or her horizons. It also teaches the person how to think critically, a skill that is crucial in the modern world.
