Learning to flourish : a philosophical exploration of liberal education / Daniel R. DeNicola.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

DeNicola, Daniel R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education, Humanistic--Philosophy.

Education, Humanistic.

Education, Humanistic--United States.

United States.

Education--Philosophy.

Education.

Education, Higher--Philosophy.

Education, Higher.

Education, Higher--Aims and objectives--United States.

Education, Higher--Aims and objectives.

Education, Higher--Social aspects--United States.

Education, Higher--Social aspects.

College teaching--United States.

College teaching.

Physical Description:

x, 270 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Continuum, 2012.

Summary:

"What is a liberal arts education? How does it differ from other forms of learning? What are we to make of the debates that surround it? What are its place, its value, and its prospects in the contemporary world? These are questions that trouble students and their parents, educators, critics, and policy-makers, and philosophers of education--among others. This work offers a philosophical exploration of liberal learning: a still-evolving tradition of theory and practice that has dominated and sustained intellectual life and learning in much of the globe for two millennia. This study will be of interest to anyone seeking to understand liberal arts education, as well as to educators and philosophers of education. The author weighs the views of both advocates and critics of the liberal arts, and interprets liberal education as a vital tradition aimed supremely at understanding and living a flourishing life. He elaborates the tradition as expressed in five competing but complementary paradigms that transcend theories of curriculum and pedagogy and are manifested in particular social contexts. He examines the transformative power of liberal education and its relation to such values as freedom, autonomy, and democracy, reflecting on the importance of intrinsic value and moral understanding. Finally, he considers age-old obstacles and current threats to liberal education, ultimately asserting its value for and urgent need in a global, pluralistic, technologically advanced society."--From the publisher

Contents:

Pt. 1. Toward a theory of liberal education. Mixed messages and false starts

Liberal education and human flourishing

Pt. 2. Paradigms of liberal education. Transmission of culture

Self-actualization

Understanding the world

Engagement with the world

The skills of learning

Pt. 3. The values and moral aims of liberal education. Core values of liberal education

Intrinsic value

Educating a good person

Pt. 4. Obstacles, threats and prospects. Persistent concerns

Newfound threats

Promise and prospects

Notes:

Includes bibliographic references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781441151063

1441151060

9781441111630

1441111638

OCLC:

773666870