The Genteel Tradition in Liberal Education

Abstract

L IBERAL EDUCATION IN AMERICA suffers less harm from its philosophers than it would if their ideas were effective. It is often thought that education, and thus, eventually, society, is reformed by instituting new educational philosophies by which the traditional body of knowledge is rearranged in new clusters of old ideas. Or, similarly, it is often thought that by advocating assent to the opinions of Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Goethe, and others on matters concerning human conduct and moral values, liberal education becomes suffused with higher virtues, and young men and women whom it educates learn to comprehend the moral order of the universe in all its parts. It is improbable that education or society, as they function from day to day, are effectively changed by such exercises. What is more probable is that in periods of social crisis, education finds itself reformed, sometimes against its will, often without the help of philosophers, usually without evaluating itself philosophically. When educational systems undergo radical reform, they do so in response to deep social needs and human demands. There is little need or demand for abstract moral virtue or abstract moral knowledge in our modern world. The greatest potential danger for liberal education is, not that particular philosophies will dominate educational and social practice, but that educational changes will be made without first being subjected to sharp philosophical analysis. Liberal education is being reformed in America at this moment. In the state universities, in the larger private institutions, and in the colleges, preparation is being made for the enrolment of many more students than have ever been taught in the past. In this preparation, great attention is being given to the subject matter of courses, and by comparison, little attention to the needs of individuals in society for whom the courses are designed. A great many young men and women are confused about what it is they want, either from life or from education, beyond prospective