Defining the purpose of an Education

Defining the Purpose of an Education
(conceived by Carl Curtis)
We began our semester by reading, discussing, and writing about the purpose of an education. Think about the
essays and consider the theses presented by the authors. For example, in the excerpt from “The Idea of the
University,” John Henry Newman makes an argument for a liberal arts education while claiming that the
purpose of an education is to create free-thinking, dutiful citizens. Malcolm X discovered a different purpose for
his academic pursuits. He relentlessly sought empowerment and the ability to effect change. On the other
hand, the narrator of Lawrence’s poem “Snake” discovered the disturbing effects of his “accursed education”
which seemingly distanced the speaker from something more primal, more instinctual, and more spiritual.
Likewise, Plato exposed how we, like cave dwellers, live according to illusions or shadows that are presented
to us as reality (which is akin to Dryfus’s understanding that “we teach our kids what we want them to know,
and we don’t teach them what we don’t want them to know).
Now, continue the conversation that has been started in a formal essay in which you make a specific assertion
about the purpose of an education. Consider how your own views have been reinforced, modified, or
transformed by our class discussions, Angel posts, assigned readings, and video clips. Include concrete, vivid
examples, specific details, and references to the readings that help develop, explain, and support your claims.
Speak from your personal experience and explain what you think. As with all essays required for this course,
the document must have a specific purpose and convey a controlling idea (a thesis) that your audience might
find interesting, helpful, meaningful, or otherwise significant.