Why Choose the Liberal Arts?

Abstract

A wise and inspiring meditation on the value of an education in the liberal arts, one that is informed by long experience, enriched by mature reflection, and not neglectful of commonsense practicalities. It beckons as a kindly light amid the encircling gloom of so much contemporary commentary on American higher education. --Francis Oakley, President Emeritus, Williams College a resistant country in a resistant age, Mark Roche dares to make the case for education in the liberal in terms both broad and deep. He makes forcefully the obligatory case for the practical value of a liberal education as a preparation for whatever profession--a case that must continue to be made, especially in these times. But on the basis of wide reading and long experience as a scholar, teacher, and administrator in institutions large and small, he straightforwardly makes the case for the inherent value of study in the liberal and for the intimate relationship between that study and what life might actually be about. He foregrounds the truly big questions that are so often avoided in pursuit of the professional by both students and faculty. Unlike so many commentators, he is not a scold. He is a thoughtful advocate for an education in which young and old alike explore together what it means to be a human being and how one might be a better one. --Don Michael Randel, President, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation I love this book. Mark Roche lays out a fascinating and accurate case for the liberal arts. -…