David Foster Wallace On The Value Of Education

Every person has his or her own reason for obtaining an education. However, for many people the sole purpose of obtaining an education is to make them marketable in the job market. Just like many other people in the world, the authors John Henry Newman and David Foster Wallace both have their own opinion on why people should obtain an education. In Newman’s piece, he argues that the reason for obtaining a liberal education is “knowledge is capable of being its own end” (Newman #). On the Contrary Wallace believe that the real value of a liberal education has to do with “simple awareness” (Wallace #). Newman and Wallace both have seemingly different opinions on the value of education, but their pieces share many similar characteristics. Both pieces show what knowledge can do for people and how knowledge not only accomplishes human need but it elevates man and ultimately has the ability to create a gentleman. John Henry Newman wrote the piece, “Knowledge Its Own End”, in the year 1852. In his piece, Newman argues that there is no practical purpose …show more content…
To do that, Wallace begins his speech with two short stories that encompasses his overall message. Wallace’s overall message is that the true value of a liberal education is that it allows people to look at the world differently. According to Wallace “the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well- adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship” (Wallace 8). Being able to choose what has meaning in a person’s life is what Wallace considers being educated. He also believes that a liberal education teaches people that they are not the most important person in the world (Wallace). That other people in the world can be having just as many problems, and people need to be able to see