NEW PROGRAM AT HARVARD

Three years ago, Harvard University began a comprehensive curricular review of its undergraduate academic program. Two months ago, it was made public a preliminary report that summarizes the core of its new academic plan (still under discussion).

One of its more important attributes is its defense of liberal education against the neoconservative thinking. It is really interesting to see an important education center establishing its basis and lines of academic interest based on “ideals” and not on “deals”. Specially Harvard which, as everybody knows, is recognized world wide as one of the most important universities.

Another important issue is that Philosophy is vindicated as one of the cornerstones of the students´ academic formation. It´s been said several different times that one of the sine qua non conditions for democracy is the formation of an intelligent citizen and not one who just nods along first and nods off right after due to so much nodding.

Finally I would say that what I find particularly relevant is the questions that lay behind the Harvard report, namely: Why do we educate? What do we educate for? And then, How do we educate?

The Harvard report is clear about this but I personally find no easy answers for that…

IMPORTANT LINKS

PRELIMINARY REPORT
CURRICULAR REVIEW
LIBERAL EDUCATION (LEO STRAUSS)
PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERAL EDUCATION