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Justin Fairey

Founder & Developer, My Harvard Classics, LLC

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Is it more or less important to invest in liberal education now that we are past the point of no return on the path toward the singularity?

The natural trend for a variety of reasons has been to de-emphasize getting a liberal arts education over a STEM or business degree. Even for younger students the arts are cut out. This trend is because collectively there appears to be no need for these things in the world we are building.

Is now the time to concede the battle over the relevance of a liberal education and surrender to the STEM future?

Or is it more important than ever that we make sure that we have a firewall for humanity where some are left trained in the art of being human a craft that has been developing since the dawn of civilization?

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    R H 20+

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    Jun 16 2012: Thanks for this very pertinent question, and there is alot of 'pressure' on it. This could be considered a fundamental crossroads in our development as a species. We've always had a 'battle' between human consideration, expression, emotion, feeling, wisdom, experience - and 'progress'. We're learning about brain hemispheres and how we process information. Many are exploring the frontiers of intuition, 'knowing', emotional intelligence, and universal connection. Art describes our experiences outside of mathematics and reason. Art evokes a reality non-quanitifiable, therefore difficult to 'prove' its importance. I try to imagine a world with only scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathemeticians, and I see it as extremely limiting, subject to the confines of their respective exacting disciplines. It seems the intensive 'push' towards STEM education and concentration is profit driven and fear based, and this incentive is hidden behind a veil of being 'realistic' and competitive. We relegate liberal arts (especially the humanities) to the 'basement' of education, and then wonder why we have such disenfranchisement, disillusionment, and escapism, even suicide. We are more than the tools we make. The need to understand the 'big' picture, to relate, to know who we are, and to feel love and the pulse of life is a reality and a gift that we have. I hope someone figures out an algorithm to measure it soon.
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      Justin Fairey

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      Jun 21 2012: I could not agree more with your incredibly insightful comment. Thanks for posting it!
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        R H 20+

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        Jun 21 2012: Thank you for your generous response. Education is very important to me. I feel it is the one thing that can truly 'save' us - but not only 'save' us, has also the potential to catapult us into a fullness of being, of expression, of exponential 'growth' and development, and in this we will find the peace and joy and beauty and brotherhood we seek. STEM concentration is just a part of this fullness of being human - in my opinion. Yes, an important part, but with no greater importance than the needs I described above. STEM concentration seems to have a natural built-in and compelling 'profit' incentive unlike the liberal arts and humanities. While I have no problem with profit generation in itself, let's not 'throw the baby out with the bath water', shall we. Thanks again for presenting this compelling issue.

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