"True joy is a serious thing"

I came across "true joy is a serious thing" in this wonderful essay on higher education.  On redeeming the liberal arts.

I became a huge fan of the author, Leon Botstein, after reading an essay in The New Yorker that was about him and Bard College that he presides over.  Quite a force he is!

In this recent essay, Botstein writes:

Students entering college ask basic questions about life. They are in search of ways to define their place in the world. They are concerned about their own lives and are curious about large problems in the world—matters of justice, the nature and possibilities of work and employment, the future of the planet, the construction of meaning, the nature of knowledge and belief, and the understanding of nature. These grand, wide-ranging concerns are not mirrored by the professional or disciplinary divisions of a university. The proper response is not old-fashioned survey courses; rather, courses on issues and problems that probe deeply and draw from more than one discipline are needed. So too are curricular structures that develop, from the first year, a common ground for all students that can enable serious conversation and debate among them. Finally, the sense of excitement and satisfaction derived from the active life of the mind must be nurtured. As Seneca put it, “True joy is a serious thing.” Cultivating that recognition ought to be a basic goal of the liberal arts.

And this exactly what we do not do.  In fact, we do everything possible to kill any innate student interest into inquiring about their place in this world and how to make meaning of their lives.

Higher education has been reduced to a glorified trade school. 

Now, there is nothing wrong with trade schools.  There is a place for trade schools that teach skills, and there is a place for universities that go beyond trade skills.  Trade schools, to their credit, do not suffer from any mission drift and stay focused on the trade.  Universities, on the other hand, have completely lost sight of their mission.  Increasingly, universities even go one step more and systematically transform themselves into becoming glorified trade schools.

Earlier this week, as we engaged in discussions in the classroom, I told students that I want them to  consider learning as personal.  It is not about something in the abstract; instead, it is about them, their lives, their communities, and their country.  I was telling them, without telling them, that education helps them with what Botstein refers to: Find their own answers to in their "search of ways to define their place in the world. They are concerned about their own lives and are curious about large problems in the world—matters of justice, the nature and possibilities of work and employment, the future of the planet, the construction of meaning, the nature of knowledge and belief, and the understanding of nature."

But then ... yes, you have heard me say this before, nobody listens to me!  When even Botstein has very little influence over all these issues, what chance do I have of being heard!