Write essay (Critique)

ThL N ew

Liberal A rts

S A N F O R D j.

U N G A R

H A R D

E ( O N O M r(

T hM E S inevruih1

biuig sirirtins

01 all

Ic r eptud

oh l

tiisl m iii iii io n s, and

liS ts

lin e a r

mud i< tI

ii s di itt

has aen

espe hilly

hard hit

Sorneth up

hat ft is

tin p been

IttII ip a a uniquel

sensible ant Ieffect

is C approach

luim nine

I is com

e under

the erim

IcUl eae

of p hey

m akers

a n d the t o

acdi:i. miot

to m e n tio n

I det-eonse

ii in frim

n ilics.

B ut ihi

itiquc c u iitn a te l

scents to

he haled

b rd

miuxe a

m u

mu Inapt

cuptions. Ilete

arc It w

of those

i percept morn,

i’ a n its

\antige point

a a libetril.

IrIs collede

president. arid

mm react

io ta t o thetis:

S A N F O R D

J U isea

i the

readent I (;oochei

(ollege a haitian

ri ttim

1 ini. Ic

ic a n tis

a t rcsh

HI ,,ci

Tire \ ‘ ‘a

In ci a

ii Irm m rm u

ma i

Ift R s4s’

o i l B hrmc

m4m F n v r i r i

irrrmrrmm (1 Q

s6).Ilutist s tm w orled

iii ru adcrism

joutrem lism

I oil a N ational

duPlic ftida

s a to

‘V oice d A m s lica,tb

t S p seem

m ist

1ad c a

a a

nc or

a iii ‘Iral :uiiw

ncc. I In

e\rrrisi\ i pit

t aurm

I,tilslu oak

nrc iuius m a lc’

r’s \k s ace 1

th e hcr’n

am ’ ,II(d

its It

ham. I [us

arm d lia

ppu:ned ma its

‘imm mdc

‘I llmtiw: dw arsm

on

Phi N ew

I iheiaI A rts

M ispercePtiohl N

o. 1: A

liberalirts degree

is a luxury

that m ost

fam ilies

can no

loimiser afford.

“I areer

education’ is w hat

w e

new m ust focus

on M any

I sm iltes

are indeed

struggling, in the

depths of the

itCCssiofl, to pay

for their

children’s college

edu

cation. \er

one could

argue that

the traditional, scull_rounded

preparatiots that the liberal

a rt 5

otter a a better

m nvestrneIt than

evet that

the future

den ands

of citizenship

w ill require

not

atrosv technical

ot jo ls io c u s e d tr in s in g , h u t rather

‘a subtle

unck’rstt5siP of the

coiiiplex uifluence

that 5hape

the w orld

w e live

in. N o one

could be

igaitist equipping

oneself for

a cateer.

But

the ‘career

education” bandw

agon seem

s to suggest

that short

cuts am c

as ailal’le ii a talents

that lead

directly to high-paying

asmu out

“[mills” like

luarnind how

to w rite

and speak

w ell,

how to understand

the nuances

of literary

texts and

sci

c u t H it e o n c c çrts, how

to collaborate

w ith others

on teseateh

M any

state 5

and localities

have otfictals

o t task,

forces in

harcu of “ss’orkfom

cc duve lopm

uni ,“ im piytnd

that business and

industry w ill

unniuflicate theft

needs and

educational insti

tutions w ill dutifully

tutu out

students w ho can

head straight

to the

factory floor

om the

office ubicle

to ilfill

them . B ut his

is tilled

w ith

eil1iiP lC 5 of failed

social experim

ents that

1 1 5 1 t d p le

is ork u n tt tither

than m dii iduals

capable of

tn s p tta tio tt and

ingenuity. It is fat

w ise!

for students

to prepare

for clsange

m d the

m ultiple

careers they

are likely

to h a v c

than to search

f o r ri single 1o b track

that l i t fle

das becom

e

a dead

end I reeentlV

heard (,ecm

ffrey U arsn, president

of H art R

eseatch

A ssociates,

suggest th at the

responsibilitY of higher

education

today is to prepare

people “for 1ohs

that do not e t exist.”

It

m ay be that

study the

liberal arts i actually

the best

form

of eared

education

M ispereptior

\‘o 2:

( llept

ii-dniia ne

find in

it Intider

to pet o

rJ joi’s

r’ P it lilrertI-•arts

rift a \\h o w ants

t* hire

See C hapter

5’rO tCI

Ir W ith

lit tiiide

tnt m aja

hke pluhor

pity or

fortipsott F w n t it?

Yt it eei

it rT taies

te e h ic!diffietilt

y in thi

explainingwhy P

m atha

but t1te s t r n t has

ni0 di Pete

ti ited

youdisagree. • f lO f l

p o r trids

cistudy ii its inipr

t. \ P

sur ye itt

ihe Assr

I ti in o f A n e rit

tn I ollepes

and FJitiveisit

es a L Italit

found ha

nunt ib m ilu teo ln ariers

of o u t

i• itt n n s

‘iij’lcc\er 1a

rlii1 flr ti

hat 5i1lepeH

oiiiid iitd

nn pi sn

•1

“fib ducati

nn \n

istoittiditip ‘b) pert

e m said

tlir y w e t

In y knpi

in u t a t

i de

i on

“t he ihility

o ‘lit

ttivth t m l

lilitits nil

o r u t nid

it w rit iii’

and lim o s

nis nitty

U tad

the level

‘In tat

1 tier “ n it

nililtnnPin isd

in dvi

te ii te n o n

it kills

“ O t v itt

it a t

snd Itty

W C t( It

uti look

nut lot

“itt’ alnit

V 10

I ill

\ tie

m d

hc treti

vt. It

s tO s n p n s

Ilten, ilinui

a urow

uitri tiuinl’er

ni en rpnnnt

ito it

tnC ltidtit

SO t it

III luplily

tr linn

ii fields,

irt In

iiid by

nlt v nIt

I r

I lO s depites

Pittity of

piuilosof ln

iiid nl\stes

u tijo n

us rf5

nit\\‘tll Piteet,

m d lie ahilty

in n i tilt

e

iI iS

so’th’ ‘IC l’ernt

i t

It r a s

iltuin it’

t5kjll InTent

io In itt

otht i fitIds,

I I unix

law and

tnedttmt K nw ledpe

of lot

,u c t

l,uiitntm ,uu’s

it ,tdt

m ntue

iii ill lines

of w oik.

\\ liii

seettied ni r,tltal

mdci in business

cdutntt i,nti

II’ y e irs

o r so

t’O -thai

C I tim ,il

i d tteat iv

tIim kunp

is a “w itva

it” is

fiuiant C 0

ft m tn lin t it I

t io t rittu

ie n p in it e

M isperception

N o.

I: fle

I b t al itts

are ptitiettl

t I’ irtel

a 1

1 101

(1W I

11 t Inst

peti 1 O n

us iieri

itt Iiitis. hite

, rn i

ii iii their

Tin He if1 h i pars,

iitiist foau

an snnrn

liu n C l i f t p r

n P ri

iitd ttntrkn’ial’Ie.

It s cid essen

n l

no t t im ply

lit it

i ‘a

w h

h iv

it a

n in o t u n d etsi

in 1

on ippit

tie the

Intet it inents

oil nra

I nttoih’

r a a’;

Phc N5u

lIarnit .-E i’

of s a y ln p ically

th a t th

rich folks

w ill do the

in ip O rta t5 t

thinkinp, and

the loss ci

1isses r ill sim

ply arrV

o u t their

s lea. T hat

is lu st a form

nif prel udir e and

a tn u o l he supported

intellectually Perhaps

students w ho

onle w ith

prior at quaint ante

w ith

c

cert,titt I teith

an d

i reservn nit of e\pereflcU

have an

advuint ace

it the stalt

of c ilepe

hut us tnv t\perietlce,

i is often

the peo

ple w ho

are tie w e st to t ert tin

ide is and

ipprttaehes a hit

sft

the m ar n rttitn

ii and

inventive ii the

d iscu

ssto ts and

applita

tin’n tnt th o s e

as. h ey

cat Cli t i u ic k it

W e should

re s p e t t w hat

es ci y o n t brinps

to the

table and

rain the

broadest p o 5c tb lt

ro ss sect

to n ti A rnerienttt

sm teici

V

‘ci pitt Is ipaie

in, and

I trip sintpt

ivil Jise

c n itrse / e cannot

assifl dilletent

sinc io e L o liO m tt protip 5

to difletest

levels or

i vpes unit

ltn ariols.

Ph is is

i otitti

ty a itt it’

i tttixed-race child

raised ‘‘y r sC ni’

IV a stucriltn 5inele

ituinthier a ha confronts

is tp ttii5

n M s can

grow tip to be p re s id e n t it a precisely

a

Ibm’ al tdtit

itio lt tit

it allow

ed ltntt

to aitclt

up and

m ove

M ispercePti0n

N o. 4 t)ts e should

ntnl, in this

d ty and

a p e .

studt mmlv

the art

The hi

EM fields

s it tu e t, reehnttloriy,

e n t’tite

e t in c , .itd

tttirheniuit I a ,t ç a h e re the

a c tio n is. T he

Itheral arts

enettntpniss t.ist

into idea

possible r n in e o t diseiplite’

in the

natural a tent a,

tlst’ lttititniitut ies, and

the stnt

al s c ie n c e s

In fie

t. the h s ttr tr ai ha”is

nt a ih

r,tl educat ion

Is it the

elan

iL,tl .s rte lberale,

cnnnprlsiitri the

t nt turn çpranttitw

lcmpuc,

n I tin torit)

and t ht n1uadtiv

a tm

(arithm etic,

geom erryn

a strn

n itO lttt,

and itu tsit

A nothet

tenu stonet unes

sitbst inred

Iil’eral a r, for the

sake n’i

t iaritv, i “ rise

a rt-

m d s c e n c e s ”

hits m uniy

iittiveiitte5 hive

innlles, Jivtsions,

or 5dtourI

of

iris and

S r it lit e s a in ,n n ri tin

o naadetttit

units

[a l’

e ‘acre

is m uch

c m ii em

about w hether

A m erica

s tip a tb (‘liina

and oilier

risinc ecot [tUnics

t the

SIE M

diseiplitics Na ii

itlefit C g e S t5 , hoW

l. icr, that

sta e ss tn s u

ntifh and

t els ik al fields

w ill

be go.

tier if it

ci. m e s it the

txs’tisi. Ito

id hatkgn

m ud in

tibet areas

of ih

liberal at ts.

!4isperception 5: 1;”

the liberal

I e iu [o c ra ts

a’ ia

gum rho

(1,11101 ry

nt< ii m ubie

in n’ c e n t y e a rs. so it’s

i idiulous 0 toniiw

o id o tfiO

u ls

r y<utig

peopli with

ilibeia t

eduLa lo lL A lJ

cial e<lii

ste is

Is ‘ro p e iIs

defined above,

has tio thinit

w hatso

ever to ia w trh p,’iiii

-except insolar

o polities

o one

ot the

to h1

iii it titT

Iii’ ctlieii

[‘iii iie

[[h u t [ft ru b ric,

([5 the

C O t’i

it i’, bu

i isi.

of ii

in’lusiveness and

its respect

for classo-altra

di it in

he hI cial

iris could

pioptny lx

dese died

<is a

a u s e rv [liii’

a jT r’a u ii to p re p a ra tio n fo r life,

It pr im t’ies

the idea

of’fisicnits 0 ’ ill points

mit v ie w and

n u t relvin

au a s in

hi ide,sks

s’, at d e te tn u n in g ill tptsuiai.he

to ols

ith a problem

iathm ’r tha

s a

siruig thai

one tech nmitqia

ia p e rsp e c iv e has

all the

answ o.

T sit

aIm amid

halantciisortof dialogue

m ay

he o u t

at l;i’hmm’ii

ii’ th e A n n ’ m in u s puhln’

arena todu,

svhe ii di’ tu rin g

m atch

mes ire

iii v<mtuc

and n ia n u p ta ple

seek iiih

w it arIm

m anhi

horn soin

1 y knim

iii utlvanie

they agree

w ith.

But itm

ay x’ only

lib ‘mi

‘dim ation

that is help

lead the

w ty hick

to coimuts

a iii It S C

thu onveisuion

about i’sues

beta ‘e us

!1 is p e re e p h o n \ o . 6: .\m nerica

isthe only

country in the

siorid that

ciug to

i ‘ i an told

fashioned hotm

of postsec tidam

s edo

im ieni

a the

tnbimu iris

)thiei ounirle’,

w ith

nnomi pm iU n ’ ii

slicfliu itio ii-,

i e rtitiiim

iig W i5’ alseiJ

of us.

It Is oftu

n dtft’iult

to explain

ili’ ls

iiilagt’s at a liberal-arts

cdutat 11

to p e o p le

lio n ’ athet

cuiltu e. sihere

ii h eantinon

iii s p e c ia h ie early

In m any

pl i

s ludin

I urop, tin’

study of law

o niedk

m e

The Na

w I tia raI

A rts

often b e in

diteetly after

high school,

w ithout

any requiw

’

m ent

to com

plete an undergraduate

degree first

W e 5hould

how ever

that a aeconciaty

e d u u sstl0

fl in s f l y’s’

w ins

say, those

that follow

the m odel

of the

(derrnafl (y us

nasium ssftcfl

includes m uch

that is left

out of the

tyy teal

B ig ,chuool

c u rin ’u im u l in km erica’

O ne need

only look

in o n

a student

preparilhg I’or the

baeealj11tt ex am lflitn

b o h i tO France

to undent,’1t the

distinutm om asrery

of philosoPl5In and

scm’

enrifa cone cpts

is andatoiy

I urrhei, in ret (n

yeats dclegatitutn

from (hin’a

haV e been

voiring the

Innited tte s and

iskuig pointed

questiofl5 about

the liberal

arts. seenunC

ly because

they feel

there m ay be good

reason to try that

appr’ ach

to education’

T he O hiflese

nias be

coinhtiP around

to the

view dust

a pitnialY

toe us on tecIsnic1 1

tt,unlng is not

seuvinit them ,1 1

k q u atel

that if they

aspire to

w orld

leadership. they

w ill

Iuutve to provide

ymmunc people w1t h

a firm 5d e r penpee

live. ‘T h u , it is hardly’

a p ro p iti° 0 5

m om eflt

toss o U t, U t dow

ngrade, one elem

ent ot hIgher

educatioui that

his served

us so w ell

M iscO

n C eP tiO h i N o. 7: T he

C O N t oh’ A m e ric a n hgB

et education

spiraling o u t ,ut’ c o n trO l, and

ltheruii_,lrts college’

arc h e c o fli

ing irtelev

m t be cause

they are

unable to re g is te r g a in s in pro

duclm vity

an to find

innovative w ays

of doing

things. [‘here

is

plm ’iltV

w raflit

a itli A n m e u tc higher

edm at ion, 1 1 5

eluditsg the

run,n\ as c m i’.

B u t the

problem a t c o s t’ g o e s beyond 1d v id

ual utstitittiO

’ Givernm

uleum t at all levels

ha’ coflie

now here

dose to support nig

colk ges

in w ays

that allow

them to provtde

the kind

uI au

ess and

a{tord,ihihtY that’s

needed, The

best w ay

to understulid

g eth ilih e natlonai

p rio ritie

’ is to

follow the

m oney.

and by that 5t,& usdard,

ediie ation I’ really’

not all that

unportaist to this

eountt’\

I -)

M an

tio n o e t s t 0 heiin

thhetal ed o iti in

m cltidnig

at corn

Li e nov

k itf ts

puhlir h id

p t V hR

I hr m ethod

I 0

I\ I) tie,

Ii[ ciL viotis

0 150115,

1, ito

u i all,

restdcn tiaI

Ith ii

t collegc

usually itidee

dent, w here

th rc

is P is

n n tis

ri in b etw

ern faculty

nietcihet s and

titciC lil s m d,

at its

Is 1

1 coIn

m uons

cm rges

thur pares

young ei ipli

t c ip htth

m ind

uds f ci tIic’insrlx

C s n J otlo

ts.

Fflic m

is litidlc

the leading

qo Ins

id P1’ ‘rib i r c d

Iec a d m

1, then financ

at uockl

is m ere

is ngiy

o m lit

th i c lu rs i ii

h u i her utise

o t tin

it em niltineist

to e \p a n d

ieed based

iii nc jul

nd t}w

m l

1 st cI

itteli 1m g a ,m tll

itl’cial u i

-isle c in hr

sw c i tutu

that of

ilire- public

tnt retails

t a

ii iiitlc

liojc i-iteach

in s t Itiitii

itc 111 hod i y

e it

c is

tid cc

lop distiliguishini’rIi tiactr

tic 0 that

help it s ttiv c

c ttt

studs lii tou1h

I u ite

iheid The

lets i e iii

r tuber

ii iduc

stir is

sill sortly

continue 1 it- itul

tile Ic-cr

non tint h sour1

I’tit it iii old

I ic lIelptiiI

to put

las a is

(1 1 (p 1 1 0 1 1 5

isicie lim

ticial issue

ra iltiO

t he

tunote-I lot

ncithet c iii

ettini en t i l t 1

renti. s:

Ilit ‘tills

ittiniersti ii

n iieli!

irk, st Icletils

teiruc not

iii t, m ake

tliv tn’

bitt ii’

to hr

t life

tic h in value

Stir 1

cha acin.

Ihey iiitc

to teuiia

cc tIc

iniplesity in5l

,livetsttv ii ci o h ise iw ise

dec ie

inc ii

to ile

tohlc m s

rstIn t ihin

p o t om ph

i i op

ibon- Ilk

iii. H it’s

develop j’iT

leills thu

help llielu

undeustuusd lo w to P rep

le-itn in lot

Ihe act

ciiih ii lay

i i tnt o tt

in -t

cc s ilk tire s liii

sc v e u i n i” p e rc ptiotis

di it

auit ad

I tnar

discusses. I hesc

if clause

ne it thm

gc that

te y iy iiid

that he uce

o lluU

c Ii cvhat

cc ccaiis

Ii

sac. lii

st dries

calling iheni

“flisl,etcePtbo1O affect

the c c iv

you tend

his argtinO

nti W on

Id you

read it any

differently it

he inn eat allcJ

them ‘c 0tim flh d ilt a s s u rn p tth 5 5 ’

2 See

piragiaph b, w here f { r e

G arlic

suggests thu

“the

iesp cin siilltv

of ln1ier

critic salon today

is to prepare

pert

pie ‘(or

fo b s that

Jo 0 0 1 V et e X ist.

H im , according

to

P op it, “Ii

m ay

lie that

studying the

liberal arts

ac rrialI

the Pen

torus ‘i arc-er

e d u c ,ltio

h I-”

I low ccould

V isit resp

o n d

to tI is rictus?

i M tspc

iceptiehi r e liu e liberal

education to politic

ci iG lu

,ttlO fl \\‘li

it 5la m U n g ir b a s e r sac

oil this

issue. and

cc hat

Jo you

think thom

his it sp o u se ?

4. n

w hat

spec ific

p o in ts do

von dunk

P ?npar w ould

agree

w ith A ndtcw

II icket

Intl ( lauclua

U rcilus

IPP l 7c)SM

? G O

w h it p o in ts o1l J

he bc likely

it’ J is a g re e ?

l/tite y o u r ow n essay

listin g m d e\ptam

nlflP five

isscirnp

t io n ibout

co llelc

m ine

it ion - I’nilli

icc U tigar’s

ess ty as

a

m odel, and

In c the

“rhec sac

/1 Say”

pattern to orlani:e

y O U r

55i\, w ith

ear ii a s u m P t” 1”

is a “they 5ay ” that

sets up w hat

5011 crilcI

Is) 515

\ r t l

I d c iii .\ a