The lack of
an understanding of concepts in various subjects is often the underlying cause
of many divides between individuals in different schools of thought in
societies that are governed democratically.
By definition, our democratic
society is constructed to give each eligible citizen an equal say in the making
of community policies. Although this
method allows for the equal representation of people from different religious,
gender-specific, financial backgrounds and etc., there are often significant
discrepancies between the viewpoints of individuals with different educational
roots. Although these distinct opinions
are a cause of much debate and argument, the outcome that is produced by the
averaging of these ranging opinions often benefits from the input from varying
educational/cultural backgrounds.
However, it is not always possible
to achieve a perfect balance, or average, from the varying opinions of U.S.
constituents. In a world in which many
citizens are educated chiefly in the areas necessary for their profession,
there is an underlying lack of broad knowledge that an individual could use to
assess political (or otherwise) issues from several angles, allowing for a more
comprehensive view of the matter at hand.
It is because of these benefits, that I strongly promote the concept of
a liberal education in which students are required to obtain an education that
incorporates at least a basic understanding in fields such as science,
economics, policy-making and religion. This would provide a structural foundation by
which, at the very least, certain topics can be viewed using a combined
viewpoint, that can encompass, and take into account the interests and values
of the previously mentioned ‘specialized’ groups.
Throughout this semester, I will be
blogging about the advantages that being scientifically literate can provide
the average citizen concerning the interpretation of news and political
issues. However, I do not want to lose
sight of the importance of an all-encompassing liberal education in addition to
scientific fluency.
-John
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