Liberal arts and the Socratic way of thinking

When I hear the term “liberal arts,” I usually think of the subjects that make us better all-around thinkers. Non-liberal arts colleges primarily teach their students in their major subjects, whereas liberal arts colleges not only teach the major classes, but also the courses that make it a liberal arts college. These courses focus on the humanities and social studies, which are basically studies how the human thinks, using philosophy, music, history, etcetera as sources to study. In addition to the humanities courses, a liberal arts experience needs to have small class sizes and encourage participation in class by all the members. If the students are able to participate regularly to the questions proposed to them in the humanities classes, they are able to analyze and think for themselves on these subjects. By creating their own questions and answers, the students become well-rounded, and seemingly would be better prepared for life after college.

The courses are designed to encourage the students to speak up in class and question and analyze material on their own, better preparing them for the real world. Instead of accepting what they are told, the students should analyze the question and decide if it is logical or not. To be successful in the workplace, individuals have to question what they are told. If they just accept whatever their superior tells them, they will not advance up the hierarchy very fast. But if they question some of the decisions, they will be noticed for their ability to critically analyze situations and make the best decisions. This kind of thinking and questioning will not only be beneficial in the workplace, but also in their relationships and activities outside of work because they understand people better. If a person has a general background in humanities and is able to make logical decisions, they will be successful outside of college.

Nussbaum is an advocate of the liberal arts education, basing her opinion on the teachings of Socrates. He taught his students to question everything that they were told in order to have it make sense logically. If the person could not satisfactorily answer all of his questions on the subject, he would not trust their judgment and thus disregard what they say. Nussbaum thinks this is the way students should be taught in the present day. Currently in college, students are not taught to ask questions until things make sense logically. There are a few exceptions of colleges that require courses to get their students to participate and question ideas, and Nussbaum thinks these courses should at least be offered at all colleges. Even though traditionalists do not agree with her, she believes that if a student questions ideas and values that are not factually based or do not make logical sense, they will become better thinkers.

The traditionalists differ from Nussbaum because they argue that students should be taught to just accept some ideas that have been taught for centuries. For example, if a student is taught the Socratic way in religious courses, they will probably begin to question their beliefs because so much of religion is based on beliefs, not facts. In addition, students who are taught to ask questions will begin to question all their values, and traditionalists think students should not be exposed to this type of thinking. If the students are taught traditionally, they will not question everything they believed in before attending college. Traditionalists believe in this method, unlike Nussbaum.

Liberal arts prepare students for service because they give them a well-rounded background in humanities, as well as teaching them how to think things through logically on their own, and by putting the students out into service, they will be able to help the people by using what they learned in the classes. Learning something in class can only teach so much, so by getting experience outside of the classroom and combining the classroom experience with the real life experience, the students will be able to learn much more about the humanities. Outside experience will give a much better insight into the human mind, and by already having a background in the humanities, the students will be better able to serve people by understanding their needs and how to serve them.