My next post is an answer to a fellow that agrees with me, but that does not understand the true purpose of a liberal arts education. He says that “He has nothing against a liberal arts education.” Here is my post in response:

I do have something against a liberal arts degree that fails to teach the Seven Great Liberal Arts. Today's liberal arts degrees are (not always but all too often) mountains of abstract data about things that the people teaching are actually set against. Originally, the liberal arts were the basic foundation of all learning, but students that took a degree in the liberal arts were taught how to think (they were taught logic, critical thinking skills, skills of analysis and debate). They were taught how to lead through communication. They were taught to speak winsomely and to write persuasively. The capstone of their education was writing a thesis and having to defend it against the criticism of the faculty of their school. Thus, they had to be both able to present ideas and defend them (i.e., quick witted). The reason that so much stress was put upon Logic and Rhetoric is because they were being raised to lead a free society. This skills were manifest massively during a few particular points in history. I will point out four: 5th century BC Athens, 1st Century BC Rome, 14th and 15th Century Florence, and the period of the founding here in America. There are a few others. Each of these periods were not time of educational monolithic systems. They were times of educational free markets. They also were committed first and foremost to a foundation in the liberal arts--not the esoteric study of minutia, but to the actual preparation of people for participation and leadership in a free society. (This freedom, of course, was limited by shortsightedness concerning slavery and gender. I am not here to defend any of that. We should improve and correct the errs and sins of our forefathers.)

Note, that in each of these historical periods explosions of wealth and productivity occur when students are trained in the tradition of the liberal arts. This is because these students are ideally prepared to lead and start businesses. (They also make really cool art which is another post.) There is more to it than this, of course. Robert, if we would prepare more students with the skills that I am advocating in this post, they could have a massive advantage over others students in other countries. Many of the students that I train see this advantage when they arrive at college. Again, Robert, the time of luxury has past! We need to understand that if we do not fix this problem presently (i.e., it is really past due) our children and grandchildren will, more and more, have to submit to the choices of others rather than make their own decisions (See Greece for a present example.)