Whether you have plans for medical school or culinary school, the importance of taking a step back is essential to success. This is the crux of Henry Rosovsky's argument for a liberal education as the foundation for all other academic endeavors. Henry Rosovsky is a former dean of Harvard College, and in his essay “The Goals of Liberal Education”1 he discusses the role of liberal education in America. Rosovsky shares his attempt to define what liberal education entails, particularly for an American student. In his own words, the definition is “ambitious”1, but necessary to establish a standard. Rosovsky provided five metrics by which to measure whether an education is liberal. They are described as the characteristics of a liberally educated person and boil down to the ability to demonstrate critical thinking, a superficial understanding of the academic process and the disciplines associated with it, to be aware of the culture, to practice discernment through informed judgment and, finally, to acquire in-depth knowledge. of knowledge in a field. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Henry Rosovsky is not alone in expressing his views on the importance of a liberal education. Carey Brush, vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Oneonta, highlighted the role of liberal education throughout history in his lecture titled “Liberal Studies.” It highlights a common thread woven through the eras of what we now call the liberal arts and supports the argument that to be "good citizens" one must master a wide range of subjects. Brush, drawing on history, cited John Stuart Mill as saying that the purpose of education is to "make men able and sensible" so that they can continue to incorporate that ability and sensibility into their vocation ; similarly, Rosovsky also drew on history, citing a speech by Eton master William Johnson Cory, in which he said: "...Above all, you go to a great school of self-knowledge . » Like Rosovsky and Brush, Cory argues that critical thinking and discernment are characteristics of a liberally educated mind, adding that mental courage can also be acquired through education. Cory's final point regarding mental courage correlates with all of Rosovsky's criteria, but particularly the fourth: discernment through informed judgment. The distinction between an idea and an opinion is discussed in Wayne C. Booth's excerpt "What is an Idea?" ". In this reading, Booth provides several examples that illustrate the fundamental differences between opinions and ideas: ideas are connected to other ideas, have the capacity to generate other ideas, and can have more than one argument or position . Like a liberal education, ideas are multidimensional and arise from the perspectives of multiple sides of the discussion. An idea to solve an e-commerce logistics problem is unlikely to have merit without “informed knowledge”1 and, therefore, without a perspective on mathematics, science, business and even ethics; further strengthening support for Rosovsky's "ambitious" definition of the goal of a liberal education. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a personalized essay The acquisition of a liberal degree has an inherent and lifelong educational value: the ability of each person to realize their potential and to..