Latest Breaking News

The point of a liberal arts education is not to learn a specific trade (that is what Graduate and other Trade Schools are for); but, since classical antiquity has been to provide the education needed in order to participate in one's society: speaking in public discussions, defending oneself in court, serving on juries, voting (when allowed) and serving in a society's bureaucracy and military.

Also since classical antiquity it is an unfortunate truth that such an education was denied many eg: women, slaves, poor people, non-citizens, those of the wrong religion. Nonetheless, the intent was there to produce an educated (if exclusionary) polity.

In the USA this gradually changed. First with the (Stolen) Land Grant schools, and, after WW2, with the introduction of the GI Bill. Our nation, many of our people and the world benefited from this broadening of educational opportunity.

Sadly, this situation has been in decline since Ronnie Raygun and then pretty much went by the wayside as, in this century, students (or, more oft, their parents) came to be called, and treated like, "customers"

Looking at notes I've kept over the decades, I found a sentiment expressing that the "Goal of Education: sapiente et eloquente - wisdom and eloquence".

Which I do think is true. However, a brief search just now reveals that this statement was a rewriting of various authors going as far back, as Cicero.