“Thank you for this outstanding essay. I’ve never read any defense of the liberal arts that was so powerful, yet so concise. This made me think: I don’t know your stance on religion, but wouldn’t you add theology (as a liberal art) and fear of God as bonus teachings that complete an education?” – CL
My Response: No, I don’t see religion as a liberal art in the sense I was using it. My essay was about essential skills for lifetime success – and my point about the traditional liberal arts curriculum is that it’s designed not just to convey knowledge but, more importantly, to teach the skills I was advocating.
You could argue that some religions espouse behaviors that require skill building, such as kindness and charity. But they cannot be taught the way a skill can be taught. One could even say that they cannot be taught at all, that they can only be learned. And I think that’s generally true. We learn those behaviors primarily by observation and imitation. You can try to teach your children to be kind and charitable, but unless they see you acting with kindness and charity, they will likely become what they see, not what they are told to do. Which is how I see most religions: a set of ideas and beliefs that are not just taught but also enforced, and lots of adherents, including religious leaders, that don’t practice what they preach.
Another reason I wouldn’t include religion as a liberal art is because there is nothing inherent in it that is universally good. If you say it is the belief in a god, I’d point out that though Christians, Muslims, and Jews share a belief in monotheism, the values they teach and embody are, in some ways, radically different.
