Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Seneca the younger

eneca the younger

In reading this article I believe that Seneca the younger thinks that a quality education does not just simply teach us how to give an exact number or find a simple answer. I feel as if he wants us to be critical thinkers look deeper into our work and have purposely meaning for learning. That liberal arts is not just learning but critically thinking how we came up with such an answer. I personally believe this is the overall big picture he is trying to get across to the reader

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Seneca the younger






 I feel as if Seneca the Younger is trying to spread the word of what good studying the liberal arts may do for a young mind. However, he appears to be very opinionated and almost disgusted with the way that some things in the world have come about. He seems to mock people who are a professional at something and yet they do not truly know what their profession is for. He sums up his message for me in letter 20, sentence 4. He answers the question of “Why, then, do we educate our children in the liberal arts?” with this “it is not because they can bestow virtue, but because they prepare the soul for the reception of virtue.” Life is one big challenge and I think he is just trying to say that the liberal arts can better prepare us for the continuous challenge that all of us face ahead.

 - Wade Turner

Valerie Strauss



The liberal arts should be "defunded" in the eyes of certain political groups and other people in America. In my eyes the political arts are a vital part of American history and even in this age of technological fortune there are needs for people with a liberal arts education. If all of the technology in the world suddenly became unusable and obsolete, then people with said liberal arts education will be some of the most sought after people in the world. Last week the topic of "Are We Free" came up in class. In the technological sense, we are not free. We depend on technology so much it Is literally a requirement to have a cell phone in your pocket or you won’t be able to go throughout the day. Being educated in the liberal arts frees us from this technology based prison. It is of the upmost importance that we are educated in the liberal arts. 
- Wade Turner

QOTD: Are We Free?

QOTD: Are We Free?
America as a nation is free. Free from being told what to think, when to think, and how to think it. We are free in our adolescent years to go to school with no cost. We are free to decide what we want to do with our lives. We make our own decisions without them being made for us by our superiors. Most people can't even have the job they desire in foreign countries because they are either too poor, uneducated, or completely denied their wishes by the government that rules them. We are what we choose to be. That is why we are free.
- Wade Turner

Sunday, September 18, 2016

The Meaning of "Liberal Arts" education

liberal arts is a course of subjects that can all relate to each other.getting an understanding of everything so that when you graduate you become a well rounded citizen.a lot of people do end up doing what they got their degree for so liberal arts comes in and plays a role in your life.
What General Education Should be

The article What Every Student Should Know by Charles McGrath speaks from several different viewpoints and compares these more so than anything. McGrath presents the differing opinions on general education and what that should be. Some believe strongly in more "liberal" studies while others believe that an education should be specified on accordance to one's profession. While base curriculum education is important for certain skills, a generally enriching education also has its benefits. Throughout the article the debate is present, however it is seemingly agreed upon that educational needs are ever-changing. With this in mind, our required curriculum must remain flexible to keep its appeal and value.

Friday, September 16, 2016

The Meaning of "Liberal" Arts

  1. In the article on The Washington Post, Strauss speaks on the broad interpretations of the meaning of the word "liberal" in liberal arts. She validates clearly that most people have their own idea of what the word itself means while it is actually very cut-and-dry. I myself am in agreement with Strauss in saying that a liberal arts education is that of which one can become a free-thinker and enrich themselves far beyond the common curriculum. This argument plays into the last in that both authors are advocating for the importance and recognition of the liberal arts as a vital key to a balanced society. The liberal arts allow for a well-informed community of people in a way that will not diminish with time.

Seneca and His Stance

  1. In reading this article, I take that Seneca is perturbed with the way that education has morphed into something invaluable to society. He argues that a Liberal Arts education should be something that frees the spirit and enriches the soul. Education should allow for growth as a person instead of wasting one's time and money. Seneca mentions that he can "deem no study good, which results in money-making." With this, Seneca leaves us with the burning question of the worth of our so-called higher education. 

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The meaning of a “Liberal Arts” education.

The meaning of a “Liberal Arts” education.

An article posted in the Washington Post, by Valerie Strauss, she writes about the various way Liberal Arts could be interpreted. The first thing that comes to most individuals’ minds when hearing about liberal arts is general knowledge rather than something specific. As stated in the article “technical training is the new path forward”, this is true to a certain extent however, both are very important in any education that an individual applies themselves to.

Seneca and his Stance

As I was reading Seneca the Younger’s stance on liberal arts studies, I feel as if he is trying to show/give examples of what good studying is. I also feel like he is saying we all pursue certain specialties in education for the wrong purpose. He stated early on “I respect no study, and deem no study good, which results in money making.” In my final thoughts on this article it seems as if he wants people to help others, rather than themselves

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Seneca the Younger

    In the gain of knowledge about the liberal arts and how they effect us, one can see that the liberal arts enhance our freedom. It takes away the restrictions of what we want to do with our lives, giving us a broader spectrum of possibilities with career choices and what we want to do. In my instance with me wanting to work in law enforcement I don't need a college degree, but by gaining one my opportunities increase greatly, working at a higher level of law enforcement such as state or even federal levels usually require a college degree. The liberal art also give chances for people who prior might not have had any due to family situations or money reasons, one of the most powerful things in today's society is an education, and by more people getting their education we can become stronger as a whole.

Seneca the Younger

In this article, to me Seneca asks why is liberal arts so important? He suggests that we shouldn't focus on one particular subject, instead we should learn the aspects that will help us in life. Seneca suggests that we should have a variety in our education, instead of learning things that will not benefit us in our future.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Seneca the Younger

This article talks about a stubborn but respected man on the ways of life and what are the things in life that's most important in your life.tools in life,money (wealth), wood art, metal art, and paper works will eventually be destroyed over time no one will care about it.Power and fame is what people will remember about you,not what you did to people but how you made them feel people will pass it on and that alone is called history example martin Luther king in the racial movements,he made people feel like they needed to stand up and fight for your freedom he will never be forgotten.power can be anything such as the president of the united states or a father of 5 children,and the preacher of a church.the only thing that will be remembered is how you express your power.how do you make someone feel.money,necessities,and what you did doesn't matter.  

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

The meaning of a "Liberal Arts" education.

In an article by The Washington Post, the meaning and importance of the liberal arts is discussed. Many in today's society find it to be a useless area of study and that it should be defunded. I find this to be a huge mistake. Although there are those who argue that "technical training is the new path forward", it is very important to maintain an education in the liberal arts. The liberal arts encourages free-thinking and as the author says, "it refers to a curriculum designed to provide students with the knowledge and abilities to become successful, productive members of a free society."

Seneca the Younger

Seneca the Younger

After reading his article, I can only conclude that Seneca is questioning the meaning of a liberal arts education. Although there are many who specialize in one particular subject or field, I think Seneca was trying to stress that we should enrich ourselves in multiple areas of study to increase our capacity to learn rather than devoting most of our time and effort to just one.
This article really reminded me of the ideas conveyed in the movie Dead Poets Society. The character that Robin Williams portrays (sadly, I can not recall his name) tries to convey these ideas to his young students; life is not simply about studying solely for monetary purposes. Life is is about the expansion of the mind and exploration of the unknown. To be honest, when I first heard the term "liberal arts" I was slightly disappointed (I am a conservative at heart). Thankfully, however, this version of the word comes with a nonpolitical connotation. I don't despise the liberals. I just don't understand the Robin Hood concept. Luckily, after reading this article, I am enlightened to see that this is a practice of development and improvement of how we think and act as a society.