Pragmatic Liberal Education

Liberal education is under siege today. While some scramble to hold on to liberal arts traditions in the face of online instruction, others contend these traditions do little to prepare students for the high-tech jobs of the twenty-first century. Throughout American history debates have raged about...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New literary history 2013-10, Vol.44 (4), p.521-538
Main Author: Roth, Michael S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American history
Business
Colleges & universities
Contemporary problems
Core curriculum
Critical thinking
Greek language
Higher education
Latin language
Learning
Philosophers
Pragmatics
Students
Vocational education
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Summary:Liberal education is under siege today. While some scramble to hold on to liberal arts traditions in the face of online instruction, others contend these traditions do little to prepare students for the high-tech jobs of the twenty-first century. Throughout American history debates have raged about what it means for an education to be useful. This article argues for a pragmatic liberal education but against a narrowly instrumental one. Pragmatic liberal education increases students’ abilities to connect study with vital issues in such a way as to promote lifelong inquiry. This form of education, and the tensions it embodies, enables us to see the impact of learning far beyond the university.
ISSN:0028-6087
1080-661X
1080-661X
DOI:10.1353/nlh.2013.0036