Tag Archives: Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts vs. Authoritarians: Who Wins?

Can the liberal arts counter authoritarianism? I consider an optimistic argument that they can.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , | Comments closed

Lit Produces Good Voters

Philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that reading literature, and reading it critically, prepares one to be a good citizen who can vote responsibly.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Bring the Liberal Arts to West Point

A military man argues that the military academies have been emphasizing the STEM disciplines while overlooking the traditional liberal arts. This is a mistake, he argues, and mentions the Agincourt speech in “Henry V.” Sir Philip Sidney, another warrior, would agree and would add Pindar’s Olympian odes.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

The Liberal Arts Will Not Die

Thursday My colleague Jeff Hammond, a national authority on Puritan poetry and a much lauded writer of reflective essays, recently gave a stirring defense of the liberal arts for our parents-alumni weekend. Jeff’s observations dovetail very nicely with Percy Shelley’s Defence of Poetry, which I happen to be teaching at the moment. Watching poetry getting […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

Liberal Arts–Only for Elites?

Frank Bruni and Fareed Azkaria may be guilty of Matthew Arnold-type class superiority as they argue that a liberal arts education is useful for power elites.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , | Comments closed

Using Lucille Clifton to Defend the Arts

There’s a decline in English majors at elite universities. We use a Lucille Clifton poem to respond.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

No Frigate Like a Liberal Arts Education

Phi Beta Kappa’s John Churchill lectured our new inductees on Emily Dickinson and the vital importance of a liberal arts education for all.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , | Comments closed

Tollbooth to a Liberal Arts Education

Adam Gopnik argues that Norton Juster’s “The Phantom Tollbooth” is a manifesto for the liberal arts.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , | Comments closed

Advice to Freshmen – Negative Capability

Developing what John Keats described as negative capability can help students be more successful in college.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments closed