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|2.13.06 @ 11:41AM|#
Still trying to make the world safe for Post-Structuralism, Nick? As an old English major myself, I wonder if there aren't too many of us already.
My theory is that no one should be allowed to graduate with a major in English without achieving a grade of "B" or better in a year-long course in college calculus and a minor in "Chicago School" economics. The curse of the humanities today is post-Hegelian yada yada yada (or post-post-Hegelian yada yada yada), conceived in hatred for Enlightenment ideals, which, in my opinion, still hold up pretty well.
|2.13.06 @ 11:56AM|#
Your right that English majors need to expand their thinking, but this is also true for most other disciplines. In reality a good high school college preparatory education would require EVERY graduate to know calculus, economics, rhetoric and English literature. The emphasis on specialization starts far too early. With the result that too many English professors are economically illiterate, too many engineers believe in creationism, and too many business majors think the Da Vinci Code is a good book.
kgsam|2.13.06 @ 12:04PM|#
The real uestion is: What good is government subsidization of the arts?
|2.13.06 @ 12:05PM|#
As an honor graduate and Phi Beta Kappa of the University of Texas English Department in 1984, I have to disagree with Mr. Vanneman that the whole curriculum is wacko deconstructionism. (Thanks for indulging my bragging on this. My Phi Beta Kappa key is one of my proudest possessions.) All of my professors were historical context types, who, if they had a "theory," it would have been "athletes have to do their homework, too." I imagine, however, that I would not have had the same uniformly delightful experience at any number of other schools. The fact that idiot theories deprive students of the pleasure I got from reading and discussing the great works in our language indicts the theory freaks more than anything else.
One more small thing: I'd have all college students take statistics rather than calculus. I'd also require Latin for all high school students. It's a far more useful subject than the two semesters of "health" I was required to take.
|2.13.06 @ 1:01PM|#
Latin instead of Health sounds like a good idea, but only if coaches still teach it.