Edmundson Liberal Education

Mark Edmundson in his “On the Uses of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students” attempts to dissolve the notion that we take full advantage of a Liberal Education. He claims that colleges and the students within them are too obsessed with an ever-abundant consumerism that damages their potential for growth. As a result of being addicted to this culture of consumption, students do not have the ambition or drive they once did to achieve academic excellence. He claims that many tend towards an easier topic within liberal art rather than more vigirous courses. While one can easily find much to critique in his methods and solutions, it can be seen that he does have a strong basis for his argument. Colleges are more and more based on the facets of consumerism and students see themselves as buyers of a product. The drive and willingness to succeed and achieve the …show more content…
As a high school student, I all too frequently find myself bombarded with emails and postcards detailing the exuberant life of a college campus. Within the last week, I have received an email from Sarah Lawrence College that described their welcoming community and their high rating among the LGBT community, an email from University of Richmond that details their very own internship program, and an email from Soka University that proclaimed their devotion to diversity in all things. They want to sell me their college experience, not a college education.
Edmundson’s article is correct in it argument that University education is tainted by consumerism. College has become a playtoy for the rich and smart students that have freely given up the opportunity to learn and excel. We have become too politically correct and emotionally soft to gravitate towards high academic excellence. College has become an experience and a degree not an education. Edmundson’s article denounces this thoroughly even if he doesn’t provide a concrete