From Kurt Vonnegut's Hocus
Pocus :". . . all subjects do not reside in neat
little compartments, but are continuous and inseparable from
the one big subject we have been put on Earth to study,
which is life itself" (147).
Introduction to
the Liberal Arts will begin to define what is unique and
valuable
about a small, liberal arts college like Monmouth College. The
goal of the course is vast, challenging, and even inspired: to
expose new college students to the life of the mind.
Many
college students nationwide cite getting a better job as their
first reason for attending college, and there is no doubt that a
good education can be the first step to a comfortable income.
A liberal arts education, however, offers much more. After
all, a good income is only the means to an end: a good life.
Your years at Monmouth College can prepare you to make the best
choices in your personal and professional life--and within the
public arena as well. By your exposure to the best ideas,
texts, and minds, your life is more engaged, more thoughtful,
and more conscious. Critical thinking,
aesthetic appreciation, communication skills, cultural
understanding: these and more are the foundations of the liberal
arts education. These are also the abilities of the
informed citizen, the thoughtful parent, and the ethical
employee/ employer.
“Exemplary Lives” is
the theme for Introduction to the Liberal Arts. We will
examine how individuals and groups have discovered and defined
meaning in their lives and the lives of others through the
choices that they have made. How do people have an impact on
their world? How do they overcome obstacles to accomplish great
tasks? How do they survive tragic events, and come to inspire
the rest of us? Exemplary may refer to someone famous or
relatively unknown; someone in a position of power or someone
who struggled against authority; a story with a “happy” ending,
or one of ongoing struggles; and it may refer to a specific
individual, a group of people working together, or even a
fictional character. "Exemplary"
probably has some definitions that would surprise you.
This broad topic
will allow us to explore a wide variety of topics in the human
condition—including how human beings form identities, how we
come to know and understand the world, notions of what has
value, what consequences our actions and choices have and how we
might think about our life’s journey in the context of other’s
life’s journeys. This particular section focuses
specifically on the relationships between individuals and their
communities: what are one's obligation to one's community?
What are the obligations of a community to those within it--and
to those outside of it?
Goals of
Introduction to the Liberal Arts
Students
will be able to:
1.
Engage in the practice of reading, in order to see books
as sources of pleasure as well as knowledge.
2.
Engage in an effective critical thinking process;
3.
Utilize an effective writing process;
4.
Demonstrate proficient oral engagement and active listening
skills;
5.
Explain the distinctiveness and value of a liberal arts
education;
6.
Argue for qualities of an “exemplary life.”
