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Classic Liberal Education is Always in Style
By Shirley Mullen, Democrat and Chronicle, October 7, 2007
The classics don’t go out of style—just think of Thunderbird convertibles, Beethoven, and a liberal arts education, writes Houghton College president Shirley Mullen in a recent guest column in the Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York). Contrary to criticism that a liberal arts education is elitist and old-fashioned, Mullen argues that it is the most universal and practical education a student can have in the twenty-first century.
According to Mullen, the tradition of “liberal education” developed in ancient Greece and was available only to “those who were free”—men who did not earn their living through physical labor, as slaves did. As the idea evolved, she argues, liberal education came to represent “capacities associated with being human:” critical thinking, use of language, the creation of civil societies, and the capacity for moral and spiritual choice, creativity, and humor.
Mullen maintains that in the twenty-first century, a liberal education is more important than ever. To truly have a democratic society where people are “citizens rather than subjects,” young people must be trained to understand what makes good leaders, how communities can flourish, and what tradeoffs are worth making. Without this education, democratic elections cannot accomplish their purpose.
Further, Mullen explains, our world is both increasingly connected by technology and increasingly fragmented by disciplinary insularity and division based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion. A liberal education trains students to communicate clearly, to work with people of other cultures, and to value moral maturity. The only real protection against a rapidly changing world is an education that teaches students how to make sound judgments, evaluate information, and learn on their own. A liberal education is not outdated, Mullen writes. It is timeless.
The full text of Mullen’s article can be read on the Democrat and Chronicle Web site.
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