Humanists in High Dudgeon: The CFR-ALSCW Standoff

Autor/in	Agresto, John
Titel	Humanists in High Dudgeon: The CFR-ALSCW Standoff
Quelle	In: Academic Questions, 26 (2013) 2, S.192-198 (7 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0895-4852
DOI	10.1007/s12129-013-9346-7
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; General Education; Liberal Arts; Values; National Norms; Politics of Education; Educational Objectives; Humanistic Education; Academic Achievement; Educational Assessment; Educational Indicators; Educational Needs; Educational Development; New York; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Allgemein bildendes Schulwesen; Allgemeinbildung; Wertbegriff; Educational policy; Bildungspolitik; Educational objective; Bildungsziel; Erziehungsziel; Humanistische Bildung; Schulleistung; Education; assessment; Bewertungssystem; Educational indicato; Bildungsindikator; Educational need; Bildungsbedarf; Bildungsentwicklung; USA
Abstract	When "Academic Questions" editor Peter Wood asked the author to give some thought to the dispute between the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers (ALSCW), he thought he should say no. Well, what did the CFR report prepared by an independent task force chaired by Joel I. Klein, former head of New York City public schools, and Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. secretary of state, argue? That the dismal state of American precollegiate education leaves the country in danger not only in the realm of global business and trade but also in terms of national security. The report has no hesitation arguing that cultural studies can have a more appropriate aim than learning cultural relativism or beating up on America. But, now enters the ALSCW in various poses of sanctimony and pique: "The CFR authors seem, by contrast, to regard people as units of merely instrumental value in larger systems of corporate production and military defense." The report is "shallow," "slippery," "irresponsible," replete with "repellent features." The ALSCW essays all attempt to show how an education in the liberal arts is of high personal value, how it makes the student more thoughtful, more discerning, no doubt happier, perhaps ultimately even more wise. But the thrust of the CFR report is to push in a different, and equally valuable, direction. Real, solid traditional liberal education is both a private good "and" a public good. Good for individuals as well as for the country. It leads the nation, indeed, to ask the questions so many liberal artists hesitate to ask: questions of practicality and use. (Contains 2 footnotes.) (ERIC).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10