- Published: November 14, 2021
- Updated: November 14, 2021
- University / College: The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)
- Language: English
- Downloads: 39
Liberal education consists of education that is conducted in a spirit of free inquiry devoid of concern for a particular topic or vacation. Indeed, it is the epitome of civilization and enrichments for mankind. The education creates awareness about the human and natural worlds in which they live. Some of the subjects studied in a liberal education include sociology, anthropology, psychology, and history among other disciplines.
Liberal education comes with several advantages more so to students. First, of all it enables learners to reflect about their choices as well as their beliefs and becomes critical of their presuppositions and motivations. Further, a liberal education imbues creativity in solving problems, enables learners to have a better perception of the world that surrounds them. At a personal level, liberal education I have attained will open me up for the rest of my life. Without doubt, liberal education gained will enable me confront the challenges that present themselves in the workplace in an informed and thoughtful manner. Some of the challenges that present include ethical dilemmas that I may be faced with in both my personal life and professional life. It is also noteworthy, in whatever career I engage in, a liberal education will arm me with the tools necessary to make decisions that have an impact on other people’s lives. This is because I shall be most likely involved with forces of change which are cultural, religious, demographic and political.
I chose to pursue a four year degree in liberal education over trade or technological certificate or even a two year associate’s degree for a number of reasons. First, in virtually every profession including technological, business and science professions, there is now a need to have a broad and imaginative capacity on the part of workers, a feat that can only be achieved with a good grounding in liberal education. A liberal education prepares me for most of my professional life by ridding myself of a narrow point of view that normally characterizes many persons in several professions. Secondly, a liberal education will and indeed has developed an ordered intellect and strength of mind. A strengthening of the mind in a liberal education discipline only serves to make me stronger in grasping ideas in any other discipline.
Liberal education has been equated with being all that one can be. This essentially means that a liberal education equips and empowers the learner with the ability to become whatever they desire. As has already been demonstrated above in this paper, liberal education broadens an individual learner making it possible for them to appreciate the world around them. It is a desirable thing for each one that we have a better educated populace that has skills in different fields. Questions are, indeed, now being asked on the viability of the increased specialization in a few fields by professionals and the performance exhibited by such persons. In the past, I have been able to expand my point of view from a certain specialty to one that encompasses and appreciates different points of view owing to the liberal education I have undertaken. At present, I am continually working towards comprehending persons who have an understanding in other disciplines such a medicine, Law and business with a view to understanding their perception of the world. In the future, I intend to venture in politics and leadership where I shall utilize the skills gained thought my learning in liberal education and thereby become all that I want to be.
A liberal education, as already stated, gives me a broad point of view that understands all professions. Since leadership essentially involves working with persons trained in different disciplines, the learning I have gained will be crucial in this respect. However, there is a negative impact of getting a liberal education in the sense that learners are unable to get a specialization in a particular field. This probably weighs down on the ability of the persons to effectively stand out in their duties and performance.
Works Cited
Bennett, John B. ” Liberal Education.” Liberal Education Spring (2010): 11-16.
Cronbach, LJ and K Shapiro. Designing evaluations of educational and social programs. New York: Taylor and Francis, 2009.
Davies, GK. ” The need for liberal education.” New Directions for Higher Education (2009): 9-13.
Nussbaum, MC. ] Cultivating humanity: A classical defense of reform in liberal education. New York: Cengage Learning, 2007.