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Conversatio: The Value Of A Liberal Arts Education

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As an incoming freshman, when I was told, I would have to take a class called “Conversatio” I was not quite sure what it was coming into it. Here at Saint Anselm College, students come here to learn, not just about the major of their choice but also the majors they don’t. Education is one of the most important investments we can make in ourselves and our future. The value of a liberal arts education lies in its ability to provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills that can be applied to a wide range of fields and careers. Education has taken many different forms throughout history, from ancient Greek philosophers to the modern university system. Liberal arts education allows students to be exposed to a broad range of subjects …show more content…

Liberal education emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, communication, and intellectual curiosity, and conversatio is a key way in which these skills are developed. Through conversatio, students learn how to listen to others, express their own ideas clearly and persuasively, and engage in respectful and thoughtful dialogue with others. Conversatio also encourages students to explore different perspectives and to appreciate the complexity of the world around them. By engaging in conversatio, students develop the skills and habits of mind that are essential to a well-rounded liberal …show more content…

The play tells the story of Antigone, a woman who defies the law in order to bury her brother, who has been declared a traitor by the state. Antigone's actions raise questions about the nature of justice and the role of the individual in upholding moral principles, even in the face of opposition from the state. Moral responsibility is a crucial component of the good life, as it is closely tied to our sense of purpose, integrity, and fulfillment as human beings. The play also explores the idea of moral responsibility. Antigone's actions are driven by her belief that she has a duty to honor her brother, even if it means going against the law. In contrast, Creon believes that he has a duty to uphold the law and punish those who violate it, even if it means sacrificing his own family members. By exploring these themes, Antigone encourages us to reflect on our own values and priorities, and to consider the ways in which we can live a good life by standing up for what we believe in, even in the face of

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“The New Liberal Arts” is written from the author's point of view. The author, Sanford J. Ungar, writes strongly on “Misperception” of Liberal Arts. He writes down each misperception and gives his reasoning, backed up with facts as to why he, the author, considers each one a misperception. The author writes about each misperception by numbering them and also gives reasoning. For example, “Misperception NO. 1: A liberal-arts degree is a luxury” and reasoning, “families can no longer afford… depths of the recession” (p. 227).

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“The New Liberal Arts” Sanford Ungar - Collaborative Summary Sanford J. Ungar was the president of Goucher College, located in Baltimore, Maryland. He wrote this essay to debunk common misperceptions about liberal arts colleges and the education provided by them. The first misperception he confronts is the idea that a liberal arts education has become far too expensive for most families to afford; therefore, it would be better if potential students focused on education specific to their desired career. Ungar argues that this is not the case. He asserts that it is better for young people to have a well-rounded liberal arts education that will prepare them for a plethora of career paths rather than having an education based solely on one career

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The New Liberal Arts- Summary In the article, “The New Liberal Arts,” author Sanford J. Ungar addresses several misperceptions that people have about the importance of Liberal arts education in today’s world. In doing so, he highlights seven misperceptions that people have and then provides a logical correction to them. In his article, the first misperception claims that people should focus more on career education rather than liberal arts education. On contrary, Ungar argues that the society today, demand individual’s who have preparation in all fields, which liberal arts provide.

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Summary In chapter three “In the defense of a Liberal Education” author Fareed Zakaria opens up what he believes to be “central virtue of liberal education”(72). He writes that it teaches one how to think critically and clearly. He explains that thinking is the stronger advantage one could have in writing well. Before writing it helps first people to think in a critical sense so work should be using simple language in a well comprehendible way.

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In the article "The New Liberal Arts", author Sanford J. Ungar takes a stance on the benefits and the need for students to pursue a liberal arts education. Ungar argues that despite modern day critique of liberal education, from his point of view as a liberal arts college president the criticisms and naysayers are futile. He swiftly and authoritively defends the affordable cost of a liberal education, employers desiring graduates with liberal education degrees, and the ability for those holding liberal arts degrees to compete with those pursuing science and mathematics majors. While Ungar's work has a great general idea, some of his specified points lack the evidence to truly stand on their own two feet. A liberal arts education is a useful

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In this essay that Ken Saxon writes, he talks about the liberal arts approach to college. He goes back and gives examples from his own life and how his college and after college careers played out. He is attempting to reach out to college students and high school students who are about to go to college. His purpose is to get more students to take a liberal arts approach to college. I plan to break down Saxon’s essay and see if he has anything that is helpful for me, as I get ready for college in the next year.

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Jamaladeen Obaid English 5 Professor 10/21/2015 Knowledge is light and the darkness of ignorance In the early days Liberal art education provided students with information that allowed them to expand their knowledge. It brings a strong foundation for students because it highlights the necessity of science, writing, art, philosophy, and history. These are fundamental to being a well-rounded and successful student.

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Antigone shows how important it is to make choices that will advocate for yourself, stand up against authority, and to always choose the morally right thing even if it means breaking the law or even

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In Sanford J. Ungar’s article “The New Liberal Arts” Ungar explores a liberal arts education and how specialized

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Things like that is what student these days see and find unappealing. So let's take Adam Chapnicks’ advice and conceive and developed more way to appeal students to think about the liberal arts. Teacher should learn how to make it fun to learn. One thing Adam does not mention, which seem to be a great idea is that students should not be required to take intensive classes of liberal art. Once you enter high school you start to think about your career.

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Ever wanted to throw down that textbook and read something enjoyable for once? Well, go ahead! Chunk that dull textbook out a window and pick up a comic; it will be more beneficial to your education than you think. The skills and values that liberally educated people should posses can vary from different views, yet the list of ten qualities that William Cronon created in his article, “’Only Connect…’ The Goals of a Liberal Education”(1998), is an inspirational goal for the liberally educated. Cronon’s list of qualities includes solving problems and puzzles, empowering others, and understanding how to get stuff done in the world.

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Furthermore, Antigone proclaims, “These laws —I was not about to break them, not out of fear of some man's wounded pride, and face the retribution of the gods.” Here, Antigone shows that she is more fearful of divine judgment than of Creon’s punishment. This is significant as it shows that Antigone would much rather face death than eternal punishment by the gods. Finally, Antigone demonstrates

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Ungar’s essay, Charles Murray discusses why a liberal arts degree is unnecessary in his essay, “Are Too Many People Going to College?”. Murray believes that the basics of a liberal education are indeed important, but that students should be provided the basics of liberal arts in elementary and middle school (Murray 223). In this essay, Murray cites E.D. Hirsch Jr.’s book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know.” Hirsch Jr. and Murray believe that there is a “body of core knowledge” that all students should have, and that “this core knowledge is an important part of the glue that holds the culture together” but that this core knowledge should be taught in grades K-8 (Murray 224). Murray discusses how young children are much better at memorizing facts than adults are, to support his position that kids should be memorizing this core knowledge at a younger age (Murray 224).

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