What value is in liberal arts education?

[FBM]

I think it has made my life more interesting, but majoring in a liberal art (Philosophy) has certainly limited my employability. I ran across the idea that many universities are considering downsizing or even eliminating their liberal arts courses and majors in favor of things like business, law, science and technology programs because of the relative unemployability of liberal arts grads. Would we be better or at least just as well off if we just learned about literature, arts, philosophy, history, etc, informally? In our spare time?

[pErvinalia]

I'm too cranky to discuss this topic. But I just wanted to post to say "I hear ya, bro".

[FBM]

Cool. Hope you're feeling better soon, man.

[FBM]

Related question: What would we (society as a whole) be like if there were no liberal arts education? How would we be different from the way we are now?

[hadespussercats]

I love my useless degrees. Now I make ponchos for cats. A blessing for society, for sure...

[FBM]

Not sure how we could manage without cat ponchos.

[hadespussercats]

Probably almost as much of a struggle as living without mezzo-soprano costume designer craftspeople, who write creative nonfiction.

None of my skills are useful. None.

[Rum]

I suspect most liberal arts graduates end up teaching. When I finished art school many moons ago more than half of my fellows went on to do an extra year post grad to qualify as teachers. There seems to be more and more stress on education as a direct means to an end - a utilitarian/vocational end too. It is a shame really as it seems to be resulting in a huge amount of specialism and a drift away from education as an end in itself. Another example of knowing the cost of something but not its value perhaps.

[cronus]

Too many easy soft subjects in education catering for dumbass folks who in earlier times would've been employed as work fodder in heavy industry - until it all got re-routed to the slave-worker continent of China and prisons of 'merica. Media studies is the worst but philosophy is people talking out of their arse too.

[En_Route]

Probably almost as much of a struggle as living without mezzo-soprano costume designer craftspeople, who write creative nonfiction.

None of my skills are useful. None.

They are to you.

[Azathoth]

I think the world would function quite normally if all universities stopped teaching media studies simultaneously. Maybe McDonalds might have a bit of a staffing crisis but fuck them

[FBM]

Too many easy soft subjects in education catering for dumbass folks who in earlier times would've been employed as work fodder in heavy industry - until it all got re-routed to the slave-worker continent of China and prisons of 'merica. Media studies is the worst but philosophy is people talking out of their arse too.

Do you use logic? Know anybody who does? Know any practical applications of it?

[cronus]

Too many easy soft subjects in education catering for dumbass folks who in earlier times would've been employed as work fodder in heavy industry - until it all got re-routed to the slave-worker continent of China and prisons of 'merica. Media studies is the worst but philosophy is people talking out of their arse too.

Do you use logic? Know anybody who does? Know any practical applications of it?

Logic comes under the regime of mathematical knowledge and would be saved from the fluff by keeping it there.

[Rum]

Logically, you should not be posting.

[Azathoth]

Too many easy soft subjects in education catering for dumbass folks who in earlier times would've been employed as work fodder in heavy industry - until it all got re-routed to the slave-worker continent of China and prisons of 'merica. Media studies is the worst but philosophy is people talking out of their arse too.

Do you use logic? Know anybody who does? Know any practical applications of it?

Logic can exist completely independently from philosophy