Critical Essay: How A Scholar Promoted And Advocated For Liberal Arts (Essay Sample)

Critical summary essay Student name University Affiliation Critical summary essay Deresiewicz‘s essay is arguably one of the best articles published in the Harper’s magazine. In the article, the author seeks to promote and advocate for liberal arts while fighting the neoliberal/ corporate interpretative repertoires and practices which affect the adoption of these liberal arts in learning institutions. In this regard, it is essential for the readers to understand that the education offered in this neoliberalism age has reduced all values to money values. In this case, neoliberalism refers to an improved form of liberalism which favors free-market capitalism where the value of an item or an individual is measured in terms of their prices and wealth (Deresiewicz, 2015). It is also important for the readers to understand the meaning of liberal arts. As research posits, it is an area of study, for instance, literature or history that seeks to equip learners with general knowledge rather than acquire specific skills needed for a particular field or profession. To substantiate his claim, the author gives various illustrations depicting the state of higher education in the United States. For instance, Deresiewicz, 2015 says that the triumph of neoliberalism has derailed the efforts of trying to ensure that moral and intellectual values are cultivated within the society. Previously, the primary purpose of education was to address the learners as complete human beings which is vital in helping the students build themselves or become a soul rather than viewing them as future specialists. That is contrary to the purpose of education in a neoliberal era. Further, the author argues that any college has three distinctive purposes, firstly, it has a commercial purpose where it prepares the learners to pursue different careers. Secondly, there is the cognitive function where students learn how to think (Deresiewicz, 2015). Lastly, a college has a moral obligation where learners are nurtured so that they can be in a better position to make autonomous choices for them to be optimistic, live confidently and courageously. Nonetheless, the commercial purpose is so far the only recognized value. On the same note, even the cognitive function which should be the core function of a college education has been sidelined hence the reason as to why the author fights against neoliberalism. Because of that, the scholar contends that the core purpose of learning has been compromised. Despite the fact that everybody is talking about the engineering, math, technology and science fields, no one is interested in science and math. As a consequence, parents do not encourage their kids or constituents to pursue careers in this fields thus inhibiting their ability to gain knowledge ...