Should you ever need an alumni perspective (ally) in keeping LR's remnants of liberal arts curriculum intact, you know where to find me.
Beckwith, legal nukes would be nice!
I've witnessed similar disintegration at even my alma mater, the University of Dallas.
You have my sypathies and prayers, Dr. B.
Dr B,
Sorry to hear what is happening at LRC. It makes me want to withold my small annual contribution. On the other hand, I like bowling and philosophy. There is value in both activities. As Marrou's first-rate study on education in antiquity demonstrates, though his study has been superseded, ancient Greek paideia valued the mental and physical sphere. There was value in track and philosophy, wrestling and geometry. Plato makes a similar point in the Republic. He too saw value in training the body and mind. However, when a liberal arts school begins to chip away at the trivium or quadrivium, it is sad, all too sad.
Maybe you can get them to start an integrated liberal arts program college within a college type program such as St. Mary's in California did, where one could choose a Great Books program similar to that of St.John's College (Annapolis,Santa Fe)or since it is a Lutheran school, somewhat similar to that of St. Thomas Aquinas College. (although I assume they would read less Thomas and more Luther and Calvin...a poor exchange in my opinion but what can you do?) While I think there is nothing like having everyone on campus going through the same program, an integrated liberal arts program could give a real education to those who wanted it, while those who wanted to pay a private school tuition to learn bowling could do so undisturbed.
Susan F Peterson
Philip:
Here's a tack for you.
Why do people come to Lenoir-Rhyne? Many come because it is an ELCA Lutheran School. Don't we have an obligation (under the notion of truth in advertising) to BE what we say we are, or change what we say about ourselves.
Surely Luther himself, who spoke and wrote so forcefully, would have wanted an honest disagreement rather than a watered-down, wimpy ecumenism?
Just an opinion on Philosophy and Philosophers.
----- Too damn wordy leading too a very "dry" subject and dull, "monotune" professors----
Solution: conclude and summarize
And get to the "meat" of the matter and don't allow personal prejudices cloud discussions. Challenge the students with questions that matter to them to include debates on ethics.
Make that "Too damn wordy leading to a very "dry" subject and dull, "monotune" professors.
Dr. Blosser,
Since my "profession" as stay-at-home mom receives much the same responce from the world as that of the philosopher, you have my hearty agreement and prayers in your "good fight" against the overwhelming foe of American Utilitarianism. It so permeates our society that it becomes very hard not to succumb ourselves, so thank you for revealing it in some of it's many tricky guises.
Yeah, LR is going down the tubes faster than Smack up a junkie's vein.
Perhaps a combination course.. "Philosophy of Bowling"
Perhaps the Big Lebowski could be shown as course material.
Or, bowling for philosophy majors? Will the bowling ball actually hit the pins? When provided with lemons, can we still make lemonade?
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