Liberating education

Norris Archer Harrington decries the decline of liberal arts education in America. He dismisses the vocational programs at community colleges to train students to be court reporters, EMTs, or network administrators. "Garbage" in his opinion. He transfers to Thomas Aquinas College, a small Catholic liberal arts school, where he satisfies his thirst for truth and beauty by reading the original great works of science, literature and philosophy. What leads him in this direction? He says it's because:

I'm one of those curious people who believes that life is more than a chemical reaction. That man can be saved by beauty. That eternal truths exist and can be recognized. That we live not by bread alone. If we are nothing more than biological processes, then our lives have little meaning beyond avoiding discomfort. But if we have souls with eternal destinies, and if our actions and choices bear upon those destinies, suddenly it seems very important to nurture wisdom in all aspects of life.

You would think that someone who prizes truth and wisdom would understand the logical flaws of this argument.

There's no reason chemical and biological processes cannot lead to evolution of creatures that crave beauty, truth and wisdom. Perhaps if Mr Harrington spent more time studying the advances of science in the centuries and millennia since some of the great books were written, he'd understand how natural explanations for human behavior are entirely consistent with an appreciation for Shakespeare. I can think of no better way of "avoiding discomfort" in life than in such classics.

It does not follow that belief in an afterlife is necessary to nurture wisdom in all aspects of life. On the contrary, such beliefs sometime lead to murdering infidels in hope of gaining heavenly rewards. On the other hand, those who believe that one's soul is fleeting have more reason to value every moment, to use our time on Earth to pursue truth and beauty because there will be no hereafter to do so at leisure.

The great books can offer much of value to modern humans, but a good liberal arts undergraduate education should be followed up with some post-graduate work in the knowledge humans have gained in the last few hundred years. The combination can be enlightening, satisfying and even useful. And get some training as an EMT or court reporter, too, to provide some income. You'll need it to buy those great books.