To major in liberal arts it requires a certain type of passion, wanting to make oneself well-rounded in all areas of education. My major helps students like me to develop a deeper understanding of human behavior from the past to the present.
Whenever I tell someone that I major in liberal studies, there reaction is always somewhat negative. Liberal arts education has been given a bad reputation for quite some time now. Why is that? Why handicap yourself to a single specialty?.
History.
The public opinion on liberal arts education has changed throughout history. At a point and time it was thought to be the ultimate mark of an educated person. In ancient Greece and Rome it was essential for a free citizen in everyday civic life. Reaping benefits of participating in debates, serving in court, and contribute to military service (Calvin, 2014). The objective of a liberal arts education was to create a person who was righteous, ethical, and educated in many fields and very articulate. The studies in this field has developed and changed over time, from grammar, rhetoric and logic in the ancient Greece and roman era. Expanded even more including geometry, music and astronomy during the medieval times. Even in modern day time's liberal arts education focus to develop you in a wide range of subjects and curriculums, immersing you in the arts, sciences and even mathematics. "Those persons, whom nature has endowed with genius and virtue, should be rendered by liberal education worthy to receive, and able to guard the sacred deposit of the rights and liberties of their fellow citizens; and . . . they should be called to that charge without regard to wealth, birth or other accidental condition or circumstance. (Thomas Jefferson, 1779) For someone like Thomas Jefferson to say this, there's no doubt in my mind that liberal studies is essential for the development of our community and society as a whole. It's may not be the same as it once was but like us, liberal arts education evolves to meet the needs of our future society.