Why Liberal Education?

The state of education in UK today

A marked shift in UK education policy from 2005, culminating in the Ebacc programme of 2011, has prioritised science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, with the consequence that record numbers of students are enrolling in these whilst the humanities suffer record decline. Much of this transformation is marketed as a necessary response to developing economic and political factors, servicing the complex infrastructural dependencies needs of modern society, and keeping up with the digitisation of all aspects of life. Defenders of the humanities have therefore felt it necessary to make their case on the grounds of transferable skills and economic factors; they defend the humanities on the terms set by STEM. To be sure, data suggests that non-STEM fields offer competitive earnings, and creative arts in particular nurture skills increasingly valued by employers, such as adaptability and communication (Ashton, 2023). But there remains the question of whether humanities each have their own intrinsic value.

The Book of Ecclesiastes, an important part of the wisdom literature in the Bible, has a recurring refrain that all is vanity, meaning all will perish. What should we make of wealth and power in the face of retirement and the inevitability of handing down our accomplishments? How does the unpredictability of economics and employment complicate this? Is there something else we could cultivate that would endure political and economic volatility and which we could share with others without losing it, as we lose possessions? 

This is the objective of the humanities. Exploring personal enrichment, character development, enriching worldviews, purpose for work beyond paychecks - these are insufficiently addressed by economics. It is rather through poetry, art, literature, philosophy, and religion that answers to these these perennial questions will become clear. The humanities contextualise the value of money within a greater hierarchy of values which are necessary for human and cultural flourishing.

What is a liberal education?

Central to liberal education is the intrinsic value of knowledge for personal growth, not just its immediate utility. Philosophers explore meaning, for instance, not necessarily out of personal need but simply to understand differing sources of fulfilment. Their questions inevitably lead to broader inquiries about moral judgment, goodness, and human flourishing. It is virtuous to engage with the complexities of such inquiries, not just because they form the intellect and the moral character in a way that benefits all other activity, but because it is enriching in and of itself.

That is not to say a liberal education should not be comprehensive. Traditionally it has incorporated both humanities and sciences. Philosophers, for instance, benefit from understanding core scientific concepts as a benchmark for the kind of things their theories will have to explain. Again, contemporary liberal education values theoretical sciences for their innovative approaches and solutions to old problems, leading to a deeper appreciation for their subject and the world. 

An anecdote: To prepare for his career as a statesman, Abraham Lincoln memorised Euclid's geometric proofs to develop his reasoning; proceeding from mathematical axioms and exhausting their results has a clear analogue in a politics which is principled and whose policies are systematically related and rationally grounded. His intellectual discipline ultimately informed his clarity and persuasiveness as a speaker and his effectiveness as a leader. In this way, liberal education consistently highlights the relationship between intellectual formation and character.