06-06-2012, 09:50 AM
No one is marginalizing the humanities but students are not investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in their education so they can learn the intricacies of Kant vs. Hume. They're investing that money so they can get a job doing something they enjoy, make some money to pay back that education, and then hopefully make some more to live on.
An education is always available to those seeking it. 99% of college-goers are not seeking education. They're seeking employment and are using college as a means to an end. Colleges need to adapt.
The best plan would be to eliminate the majors but still force students to take a variety of courses. 9 credit hours over school year in the humanities. I think that would be a good thing and produces a more well rounded, more well educated, candidate in the end.
I had a philosophy class in college; I was in there with a great, engaging philosophy professor and a number of young philosophy majors. I'll never forget when he told the class, speaking primarily to the philosophy majors, that they only job you can get as a philosophy major is being a philosophy teacher because none of the philosophy companies are hiring right now. He presented it as a joke and the class laughed, but there's a lot of truth in it.
An education is always available to those seeking it. 99% of college-goers are not seeking education. They're seeking employment and are using college as a means to an end. Colleges need to adapt.
The best plan would be to eliminate the majors but still force students to take a variety of courses. 9 credit hours over school year in the humanities. I think that would be a good thing and produces a more well rounded, more well educated, candidate in the end.
I had a philosophy class in college; I was in there with a great, engaging philosophy professor and a number of young philosophy majors. I'll never forget when he told the class, speaking primarily to the philosophy majors, that they only job you can get as a philosophy major is being a philosophy teacher because none of the philosophy companies are hiring right now. He presented it as a joke and the class laughed, but there's a lot of truth in it.