Can the liberal arts counter authoritarianism? I consider an optimistic argument that they can.
Tag Archives: Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts vs. Authoritarians: Who Wins?
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged authoritarianism, Martha Nussbaum, Salman Rushdie 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 citizenship, Martha Nussbaum, Ralph Ellison, voting 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 Henry V, military academies, Olympics, Pindar. "Olympian Ode 1", STEM disciplines, William Shakespeare 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 Defence of Poetry, Henry V, Iliad, Jeffrey Hammond, Odyssey, William Shakespeare 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.
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.
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 "There is no frigate like a book", Education, Emily Dickinson, Phi Beta Kappa 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.
