Liberal Art 101

Dear American Literati, Readers in Humanity,
Dialecticians, and Colleagues Across the
Curriculum  (Courses w/o Borders Series)

          Work Day Contemplation

Liberal Art 101

 
A few years ago, a faculty committee at
Harvard produced a report on the purpose
of education.

“The aim of a liberal education,” the report
declared, “is to unsettle  presumptions, to
de-familiarize the familiar, to reveal what
is going on beneath and behind appearances,
to  disorient young people and to help them
to find ways to reorient themselves.”

(David Brooks)

Can you  imagine  a COURSE where  the
aims,  goals and measurable objectives were
to unsettle presumptions, de-familiarize the
familiar, reveal what is going on beneath and
behind appearances, disorienting young people
and maybe or maybe not help them find ways
to reorient themselves?

     “In life we make progress by
     conflict and in mental life
     by argument and disputation....
     There must be confrontation
     and opposition, in order that
     sparks must be kindled.
 
     Only an open conflict of ideas
     and principles can produce
     any clarity....
 
     Argument is essential for
     its own sake.” (Karl Popper)
 
     Even if all were agreed on
     an essential proposition, it
     would be essential to give
     an ear to the one person who
     does not.   J.S.Mill  ]]

 
Yes. I agree. I tell my students:  be bold
and  brave and non-conforming and
question authority but not mine or here
and now,  we've got so much to cover and
no  room in the Inn for your monkey
wrenching.