Education has always been considered an important part of life, which leads to a higher quality of existence and better understanding of the surrounding environment. Many writers, philosophers, thinkers and psychologists have argued that not only the amount of information matters but also, the way it is understood and used.
Schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions provide a vast amount of knowledge that directs and helps anyone in life and choices being made. An important argument of many philosophers and thinkers is that arts and liberal education adds another very important component to the mindset and understanding of a person. The comprehension of the surroundings and structure of the world depends not only on bare reasoning but also on feelings and special sensing. In order for any information to be useful, it must be understood and used practically, to the best of ability. A large amount of information by itself is useless, if a person cannot apply it in the real world and demanding settings. One example of more in-depth and comprehensive thinking was made by Stephen Gould in his “Nonmoral Nature”. He talks about the way nature runs its course and the laws that govern the order. He compares it to the world that humans have created and how much it is different from the animal kingdom (Gould 37). This creates a perspective for humans that they are not the rulers of the world and nature. There are forces that are at work, which are very hard to comprehend and quantify. People are not the ones who made these laws and so, people just follow them, trying to figure out best solutions on the way. This fact cannot be taught by simply remembering vast amounts of information. People must use their soul or the part of mind that answers to the “liberal arts”. Machiavelli is another person who has deepened the human understanding of the concepts in the world. He teaches ethics and gives qualities of a leader that must be present for him to be successful. His specific statement that the way a certain result is reached must be unimportant, comparing to the end result, raises questions of morals and justice (Jacobus 36). This is crucial to human reasoning because people must understand how far they are prepared to go to reach a goal and what rules and laws they are prepared to break. The key concept here is the greater good and what it is for different people. Everyone has their own perspective but in reality, truth is one and the same. Something that causes pain to anyone who is not deserving or unaware of its causes is considered unjust, no matter what part of the world they are in. A higher state of opposition and fighting for human rights can be seen in the work and life of Martin Luther King. His non-violent protesting is the highest moral reasoning that can be achieved by any human (King 220). Every person must know that there are many avenues when striving towards a goal and the most just one must be taken. Education must be centered on a person’s feelings and moral make up, in order to show and teach the right way to act and think. The same is true in the work of Virginia Woolf. Her work represents another fight for human rights and moral freedoms (Woolf 842). This form of knowledge and understanding cannot come from information by itself. It must come from a deep comprehension and feeling. The understanding of suffering and hardships a person experiences towards others are the greatest type of feeling. When an individual is able to see what makes others hurt, walk in their shoes and find ways to help and reassure, it truly says a lot about the sensitive nature of a person. This sort of quality can be reached through close relationships with art and education of the human mind and soul. There is no denying that education must include emotions and soul, so necessary for everyone.
Works Cited
Gould, Stephen. “Nonmoral Nature,” Further Reflections in Natural History. New York, United States: W. W. Norton, 1994. 32-44. Print.
Jacobus, Lee. A world of ideas. New York, United States: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.
King, Martin. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” A World of Ideas. Ed. Jacobus, Lee. New York, United States: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 211-231. Print.
Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. Peterborough, Canada: Broadview Press, 2001. Print.