A multitude of youngsters will attend a post-secondary institution this autumn to pursue a course in humanities.
Enrolments for that are declining, reflecting a belief in the irrelevance of a liberal arts education. Many have tried to make the case that it really matters.
It is worthwhile? Those who take engineering or some such specialty infer that it will provide a clear path to employment. What about a liberal arts program?
It is widely believed, but not correctly, that there is a mismatch between the type of schooling and real life work. Does the concept of a liberal arts education have any validity in this high-tech world? Does it have any value nowadays?
Yet, historian Chad Gaffield believes the humanities play a leadership role in our digital world.
Of course, it must be acknowledged that the job market is a tough one for our youth. The case can be made that a liberal arts education matters. It has to be stated first of all that it inspires critical thinking, problem solving ability, and communications skills, and it broadens world views. All these are highly desirable skills, according to many employers.
Some naysayers argue that social sciences are only a drain on our resources-oriented economy, one that requires scientific know-how, and technical skill.
Critical thinking and problem solving ability can be learned in liberal arts education. For instance, a specialty in mathematics teaches one to think differently and shape the thinking of engineers, biologists, chemist and other specialists, so valuable in our high-tech economy. Education is a useful “commodity,” a means to something else. That opens the door to all sorts of new ideas. We cannot quickly qualify something as to its direct usefulness.
The desire to explore can lead to the unknown, but what that will entail is not immediately clear. Reading Shakespeare can help to determine a place in the world, although only indirectly, discovering the difficult questions of our society. So much of a liberal arts education nowadays is service building, a stepping stone to something else.
In other words, a liberal arts education is not wasted; it leads to answers that cannot be foreseen.
It has been said, for example, the Battle of Waterloo in the Napoleonic Wars was won on the playing field of Eton, where youngsters learned so much, including strategies and novel ways to accomplish goals.