Advertisement

The Enduring Value Of A Liberal Arts Degree

46:44
Download Audio
Resume

Fareed Zakaria weighs the value of a liberal arts education in our technology-driven time.

Sweet Briar College, an all-women's liberal arts college in Virginia, announced in early 2015 that it would unexpectedly close its doors at the end of the school year. (Courtesy Sweet Brian College)
Sweet Briar College, an all-women's liberal arts college in Virginia, announced in early 2015 that it would unexpectedly close its doors at the end of the school year. (Courtesy Sweet Brian College)

A liberal arts education was, for a long time, the proud and distinctive hallmark of an American university education. Old Europe had a burnished few and a lot of trade apprentices. We, the young and vibrant United States, had citizens with a handle on the humanities. Philosophy, history, literature, arts. That served us pretty well. Lately, the humanities are in trouble at a lot of colleges. Politicians talking them down. Students fleeing for the sciences. History major, public thinker, Fareed Zakaria says don’t let them go. This hour On Point:  Fareed Zakaria, in defense of the liberal arts.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Fareed Zakaria, journalist and anchor of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS." Author of the new book, "In Defense of a Liberal Education." Also author of "The Post-American World" and "The Future of Freedom." (@fareedzakaria)

Andrew Delbanco, director of American Studies at Columbia University. Author of "College: What It Was, Is, And Should Be."

From Tom’s Reading List

Washington Post: Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous — "This dismissal of broad-based learning, however, comes from a fundamental misreading of the facts — and puts America on a dangerously narrow path for the future. The United States has led the world in economic dynamism, innovation and entrepreneurship thanks to exactly the kind of teaching we are now told to defenestrate. A broad general education helps foster critical thinking and creativity."

Inside Higher Ed: Major Exodus — "Faculty members say that the general education program, coupled with anxieties about studying the humanities in a still-uncertain job market, have hurt liberal arts major numbers across the board. With less mandated exposure to humanities departments under the new system, fewer students are taking that initial course in which they catch the philosophy or history or English 'bug,' faculty members say, and English appears to be one of the hardest-hit disciplines."

US News & World Report: As Industry Changes, Some Liberal Arts Colleges Still Thrive — "Because tuition typically runs higher at private colleges – and schools nationwide are duking it out over a dwindling pool of applicants – they often have to offer students substantial financial aid packages to entice them to enroll. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the average tuition discount rate private schools offer first-time, full-time freshmen is 46.4 percent. An increasing discount rate could be a red flag for an institution's financial stability because it's not a sustainable model for the school."

Read An Excerpt Of BOOK By Fareed Zakaria

https://www.scribd.com/doc/260146195/Excerpt-From-In-Defense-Of-A-Liberal-Education-By-Fared-Zakaria

This program aired on March 30, 2015.

Advertisement

More from On Point

Listen Live
Close