The idea that a classical liberal arts education is beneficial for many students has never lost its appeal, even though fewer and fewer colleges offer anything like it any more. But some schools continue their classical curriculum and some writers extol it.

In today’s Martin Center article, Jennifer Jensen of John Adams College (one of those schools) reviews a book that purports to make the case for classical liberal arts education. She was not impressed.

As a professor of the classical liberal arts, I began reading Bob Pepperman Taylor’s new book, Liberal Education and Democracy, with interest. Taylor, who teaches law and politics at the University of Vermont, surveys a wide range of thought leaders, describing their foundational ideas in detail.” The problem is that Taylor’s view of what constitutes a liberal arts education is so expansive that it is useless.

As a professor of the classical liberal arts, I began reading Bob Pepperman Taylor’s new book, Liberal Education and Democracy, with interest. Taylor, who teaches law and politics at the University of Vermont, surveys a wide range of thought leaders, describing their foundational ideas in detail.” The problem is that Taylor’s view of what constitutes a liberal arts education is so expansive that it is useless.

Jensen continues, “By ‘classical liberal arts,’ I refer to the traditional study of disciplines aimed at cultivating reason: history, literature, rhetoric, philosophy, and engagement with primary texts. Taylor, by contrast, uses ‘liberal education’ in a far broader sense, encompassing nearly all modern academic fields, including vocational and technical training and all sciences and STEM subjects. In doing so, he removes any meaningful distinction between the liberal arts and other forms of education.”

Worse yet, Taylor pushes some noxious ideas about how we need to defer to the “experts.”

Jensen offers her own idea about the value of a classical education:

At their core, the classical liberal arts aim at the discovery of enduring truths. Students pursue this goal through Socratic discussion with others engaged in the same inquiry, testing ideas and refining their understanding. Close reading of original texts, combined with sustained dialogue, develops essential intellectual skills — critical thinking, clear communication, thoughtful problem-solving — and deepens their understanding of human nature.

At their core, the classical liberal arts aim at the discovery of enduring truths. Students pursue this goal through Socratic discussion with others engaged in the same inquiry, testing ideas and refining their understanding. Close reading of original texts, combined with sustained dialogue, develops essential intellectual skills — critical thinking, clear communication, thoughtful problem-solving — and deepens their understanding of human nature.

© National Review