"The past is never dead. It's not even past," wrote William Faulkner. Every generation must preserve and build on its cultural heritage. If universities refuse to take on this task, then who will?
I was at Stanford in 1988 and recall the protests and chants, though as a PhD student I wasn’t impacted by the proposed changes. It did make me wonder why the protesters thought students shouldn’t be exposed to Shakespeare, Milton, etc.
I have for years admired the Great Books program at the University of Chicago. In my first end of year university vacation (while at the University of Victoria, Wellington, NZ), I spent my time in the state library, systematically reading what then were regarded as the great books of every era and every region. It was a very enjoyable feast of literature, and I've always been grateful for the opportunity. So, while I'd have qualms about any program shaped by John Howard or Tony Abbott, the scrapping of the Western Civilization course seems an opportunity lost.
I was at Stanford in 1988 and recall the protests and chants, though as a PhD student I wasn’t impacted by the proposed changes. It did make me wonder why the protesters thought students shouldn’t be exposed to Shakespeare, Milton, etc.
I have for years admired the Great Books program at the University of Chicago. In my first end of year university vacation (while at the University of Victoria, Wellington, NZ), I spent my time in the state library, systematically reading what then were regarded as the great books of every era and every region. It was a very enjoyable feast of literature, and I've always been grateful for the opportunity. So, while I'd have qualms about any program shaped by John Howard or Tony Abbott, the scrapping of the Western Civilization course seems an opportunity lost.