Deseret News archives
What a surprise it was to see a professor from Utah State University jump to the defense of the status quo regarding liberal arts education ("Providing degrees to everywhere," My View, Oct. 25). Every college student, in the course of completing a degree, gets some exposure to liberal arts courses. There is merit to that, and it should continue.
Likewise, I have no quarrel with the profession of journalism, which the writers of the recent article represent. However, when it comes to claims that such courses teach the art of "critical thinking," I think it is a stretch. I believe that mathematics would be the preferred subject for critical thinking.
The fact of the matter is that many of those who attend college wind up with a broad education, while at the same time, graduating without any marketable skills. This is a terrible waste of time and resources, both private and public.
Harry Haycock
Centerville
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I don't buy into the idea that education's sole purpose is to provide "marketable skills," and that if it doesn't it is a "waste." In my view the purpose of education is to improve the quality of ones life, not just the quantity. More..
For a grueling workout of your critical thinking skills, nothing beats a few university courses in philosophy.
Harry, its the individual's time to waste, is it not? If they want to waste it learning new things who are we to naysay them their wasted time? And I'd hardly say that a broad education is a waste of time. It also depends on how one defines More..