The title of the post is the question asked by Michael Roth in his review of Fareed Zakaria’s recently published book: In Defense of Liberal Education. “It’s all the rage to bash colleges and the ‘excellent sheep’ that higher ed produces, so a ringing endorsement of a liberal education is both surprising and welcome.”
Roth summarizes the book nicely: “Fareed Zakaria offers a compact, effective essay on the importance of a broad, contextual education. Cheerfully out of step with the strident critics of higher ed, In Defense of a Liberal Education is a reminder that American colleges and universities are a powerful resource that has allowed so many young people to learn about themselves and their ability to have a positive impact on the world. Although he is well aware of the pressures on advanced study in this time of economic anxiety, Zakaria has confidence that the resources for addressing contemporary challenges lie within the very traditions being criticized.”
There’s certainly more to college than simply training for a specific job. Let’s hear it for the English, History and Philosophy majors. Let’s hear it for the liberal arts.
