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Philosophy of Liberal Arts
The philosophy of an Liberal Arts education is that all knowledge is related. Also, that an ongoing, well-rounded education is an essential element in achieving happiness, the full development of individual potential, and in being a functioning, ethically responsible member of society.
Historically, we have inherited this philosophy from the ancient Greek culture and its golden age that flourished between the 7th and 2nd centuries B.C. From the Greeks we inherited the political system of democracy, the sciences and their connection with mathematics, and even the Olympics. In addition, emphasizing that all knowledge is related, the Greeks valued history, drama, poetry, literature, art, music, philosophy, and even gymnastics, not as idle pursuits but as interconnected activities with the sciences vitally related to the good of the individual and society. They believed that the ideal individual knew how to balance the potentials of the mind and the body and to partake in moderation of all the goods that life had to offer. The Greeks were also the first to point out the connection between critical thinking and personal growth, and all these activities and the wise development of technology.
Most of all they valued critical thinking and the articulation of ideas through clear and logically organized written or verbal communication. They believed that the most important point to learn about education is that it never ends; that a general education prepares one to be adaptable and flexible, to have a broad vision, and to be able to assimilate a wide spectrum of information, cultural perspectives, and diversity of opinions.
Today, thousands of years later we find scientists telling us that listening to Mozart significantly advances children's ability in mathematics and English, the FBI using religious scholars for training and consultation in dealing with domestic and international terrorism, and the CEOs of major companies such as IBM's Louis Gerstner telling us, "We can teach (employees) what they need to run a machine or develop a marketing plan. . . . What is killing us is having to teach them to read, compute. . . and to think." Today we also find Liberal Arts graduates as the innovative leaders of major global companies. For instance, Stephen M. Case, chairman and chief executive officer of American Online Inc. was born in Honolulu, a graduate of Punahou, and majored in political science at Williams College. Carl Icahn was a philosophy major. Icahn is noted for being one of the first CEOs to realize that American business would have to be restructured to compete in a global market. Both men have been p raised for their 360 degree vision and ability to integrate many views prior to making difficult decisions.