There is another reason, which has been lost in the public
debate. Liberal education, an education adequate to serve
the life of a free and equal citizen in any modern democracy,
requires far more than the reading of great books, although
great books are an indispensable aid. We also need to read
and think about books, and therefore to teach them, in a
spirit of free and open inquiry, the spirit of both democratic
citizenship and individual freedom. The cultivation of that
spirit is aided by immersion in profound and influential
books, like Plato’s Republic, which expose us to eloquently
original, systematically well-reasoned, intimidating, and unfamiliar
visions of the good life and good society. But liberal
education fails if intimidation leads to blind acceptance of
those visions or if unfamiliarity leads us to blind rejection
There is another reason, which has been lost in the publicdebate. Liberal education, an education adequate to servethe life of a free and equal citizen in any modern democracy,requires far more than the reading of great books, althoughgreat books are an indispensable aid. We also need to readand think about books, and therefore to teach them, in aspirit of free and open inquiry, the spirit of both democraticcitizenship and individual freedom. The cultivation of thatspirit is aided by immersion in profound and influentialbooks, like Plato’s Republic, which expose us to eloquentlyoriginal, systematically well-reasoned, intimidating, and unfamiliarvisions of the good life and good society. But liberaleducation fails if intimidation leads to blind acceptance ofthose visions or if unfamiliarity leads us to blind rejection
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