Rethinking college education

by Allan, George

According to philosopher and educator George Allan, what is most important about a college education is not what students are taught but whether they learn the moral practices that determine how they can best acquire and evaluate knowledge, how they may best conduct their lives, and how they can become responsible individuals - practices that cannot be taught but can only be learned in an environment that encourages imaginative play and open-ended dialogue. The most important thing colleges can offer young people, claims Allan, is a place to converse: to learn the skills of cultured intercourse and not just the means to earn a living.