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Originally Posted by Angel
To directly address your point Kerry, I'd argue that the classes taught in college do not teach you as much as the time spent in college. Time spent broadening your horizons in a "broad-based curriculum". Time spent cleaning up after friends, time spent hurting peoples emotions and seeing the aftermath (college affords unique oppurtunities for this)
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I think you hit the nail on the head with that paragraph John.
Living in society is the best training for living in society.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel
Does it make you better prepared to live in a democratic society ? yes. It opens your world, and if you choose to keep your world open, then you can fully understand/appreciate the struggle/work to change the democratic society that you are in (because, presumably, in a non-democratic society, you dont have the freedom to work for changes) You can just as easily keep your mind closed, and have no more effect on the world than the non-college educated guy.
I guess that you could say that a broad-based college curriculum has a synergistic effect with people in democratic societies that when combined, produces a person more capable of effecting positive change than a non-college educated person. hmm....I think I like that definition. I'm open to rebuttal on that one since I just penned it.
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There is no doubt in my mind that broad based studies make a person a better more rounded thinker, a likely useful tool in democratic participation, but I fail to see how mandating the importance of abstract knowledge can contribute to the underlying intent of freedom.
Kerry, I think the better method would be to survey university administration as to the potential financial impact on operations if the requirements were removed.