Richard Mi
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E306, Hernandez
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				Illusions of a University

	Many people have different opinions on how a college education changes 
a person. In John Henry Newman’s case, his “Ideas of a University” defines 
college education as “training good members of society”. Unfortunately, what he 
has described does not necessarily represent the situation as a whole, even 
though some of the issues stated are still true to this day. Thus, the concept of a 
“Liberal Arts” education presented by Newman is no longer wholly acceptable, 
and requires major adjustments because of the passage of time and changes 
brought about by it.
	In Discourse V, Newman is advocating Liberal Arts education in the 
eighteen hundreds. However, one must note that a hundred years time can bring 
about many changes, one of these being the role of education. It might have 
been true back then that a person who has gone to college is a better person 
than those who have not, but in this day and age, it is safer to say that that is not 
always the case. Yet, one cannot say that Newman’s view is completely 
unfounded. His essay implies that in the past only those who have received 
higher education are the ones who give back to the society. It is quite true that 
even today there are those who leeches off society instead of contributing, and 
most likely they are uneducated. But those are uncommon exceptions, not the 
norm. His stereotyping of society as a whole in claiming that only those who have 
undergone education in the “Liberal” forms are “good members of society” is 
somewhat narrow-minded. What about those who have decided to specialize in 
their abilities? Are they inferior in comparison to the Liberal graduates? Or how 
about those who were not able to complete any form of higher education but still 
are able to contribute to society? Are they any less of a human being?
	Likewise, Newman says that a Liberal education does not necessarily 
create productive members. It only trains and lets them reach their potentials. His 
acknowledgement that Liberal graduates aren’t necessarily all great figures in 
human history concedes that there are other ways to reach one’s potential. In 
reality, there are cases today where those who have not pursued Liberal Arts 
education performs better in the world than those who have. Yet, this is pivotal 
for how one defines Liberal Arts, and in Newman’s case, he defines all sciences 
that constitute knowledge as Liberal Arts because that was how all classes were 
categorized in the past. This broad of a definition can be detrimental, as a 
skimming of all subjects instead of concentrating on a few core subjects can 
prove to be harmful in improving the quality of society. Many of today’s college 
students pursue what they deem as the limit of their potentials, and not all of 
them are on the Liberal Arts track. Indeed, the structure of universities today 
merely denounces Newman’s theory. If what Newman proposes is feasible, then 
why are there many fields of careers? Why are universities today a collection of 
numerous colleges in specialized fields?
	Despite all this, Newman’s theory does have one part that is still true 
today. His comments in Discourse VII on how a Liberal Arts view can give a 
person a wide variety of skills which helps them travel in any circle they chose is 
probably the most important advantage a Liberal Arts education can provide. 
Newman successfully conveys this point by describing the flexibility of one who 
has had a broad-ranged education. In giving students a broad range of 
knowledge, it prepares them to face the ever-changing world and enables them 
to adapt to their environment at will. Compared to those who have specified their 
education already, these Liberal Artists can postpone their specialization until 
they have seen the world and are certain of what they want to do. In some 
situations, this ability can be priceless. Also of note, with their broad set of 
viewpoints, they are more capable of understanding others. Newman’s 
descriptions of a person’s ability to live anywhere and go anywhere with a liberal 
arts education does infect one with a bit of wanderlust. His wording of the person 
in the article almost identifies the person as a traveler, going about the world 
seeing things, doing things, enjoying life, and pursuing happiness. Needless to 
say, this is one life style some can be righteously envious of.
	Newman’s theory isn’t fully obsolete, but it does deserve some 
reconsideration. In the face of today’s demands, a liberal arts education is no 
longer as adequate as before. Granted, liberal arts will prepare the students for 
the world, but they will also require technical skills in order to be successful. His 
concept of liberal arts was perfectly acceptable one hundred years ago. 
However, in this day and age, the phrase “liberal arts” is no longer applied to the 
full range of knowledge in which Newman based his argument upon. It is no 
longer adequate for students to study only the basics of all the subjects instead 
of delving into the depths of a specific field. Today’s doctors, engineers, and 
scientists now require more specialized training than before. Therefore, in order 
to contribute to humanity in general, they need to utilize what little time they have 
and concentrate on their majors. If a broad-based education is required, then 
integrate it into the earlier steps of education rather than in the university. The 
university should be a place where one gains the professional skills to reach their 
potentials.