The methods of a liberal education

Although the idea of a liberal education is appropriately attached to certain kinds of curriculum content rather than to others, it is equally importantly attached to certain teaching styles, strategies, methods and intentions rather than to others. Even if an item of curriculum content was carefully selected from the body of such content already discussed it could fail to constitute a part of liberal education by the manner in which it was taught. The reason for this concern for teacher style, strategy, method and intention is connected with our initial characterization of, and justification for, liberal education. Liberal education has been characterized in this work as that education which is liberating from the ties of the present and the particular, concerned with knowledge and understanding which is fundamental, general and intrinsically worthwhile, and concerned with the life of reason. Methodological considerations also arise from the ethical nature of the main justification of liberal education that has been given. In dealing with this justification I said:

the moral duty of adults to children is reasonably clear and has two parts. The positive part is a duty to help children, in all ways possible, to become increasingly rational and autonomous up to the point where the moral duty to do this for themselves might reasonably be expected to take over. The negative form of this duty is an obligation not to allow or encourage the social environment to foreclose on the possibilities and life-styles open to a child's future as a rational and autonomous being. ¹

We thus have a number of considerations which point to treating people in certain ways rather than in others while they are being liberally educated; or, to put it more strongly, in order to be sure that they are being liberally educated. We must teach in such a way as to liberate people and not bind them or restrict them; so as to bring about in them genuine knowledge and understanding rather than the possession of some rote repertoire; so as to bring about real concern for what is justifiably worthwhile; so as to bring about concern for and competence in the life of reason; and so as to ensure that pupils are respected, and come to respect themselves and others, as rational and autonomous persons. We must try to avoid teaching them in ways that act against these intentions.