Becoming More Human

What is liberal education?

*An understanding of the unity of all knowledge. Think Newman's "circle" or even Paul's example of the "body." Liberal education seeks to educate with a broad range of subjects meant to give the student a wider perspective of the world.

*Desires to know the "ends" and "means" of things. By attempting to understand the "why" questions, liberal education strives to make sense of the purposes of things and the end that they are directed towards.

*"Free" in that it must be pursued without compulsion, and when pursued, it must be done for its own sake. Thus, liberal education avoids becoming servile to a lower end.

*Develops character and the well-ordered soul. It not only makes man more human, but for the Christian, helps one think and reason to a fuller capacity that resembles the great I AM.

*A condition of the soul that allows one to live a liberal life regardless of vocation or situation.

There's so much more... but these are some of the bigger ideas we discussed in my Artes Liberales course this past semester.