PHIL 173 - What is College For?

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

According to a recent New York Times Magazine headline, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College” (September 5, 2023). In this course, we seek to understand the widely perceived crisis in higher education by examining the history of college in the US and reading foundational and contemporary texts in the philosophy of education (with a focus on the “liberal arts”). Students also research the institutional and ideological history of Vassar, interview senior students about their college experience, and, most importantly, develop their own arguments in response to the course title’s question. There are several short writing assignments, involving peer-to-peer feedback and revision, leading to a longer paper on a topic of each student’s choice. Christopher Raymond.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS