The Unproftiablity of a real Education

We live in a society fundamentally dominated by economics; we are encouraged from a young age through a variety of sources that a career is what we want. Now our notion of a career is subjective, for some people being a ‘housewife’ could be considered a career or others consider a career to be Law, Investment Banking or Accounting. We are socialized to believe that we come to University to get a qualification to get a job.

Universities are assessed on the percentage of employed graduates and the amount that they earn. Universities are increasingly being run like businesses, focusing increasingly on the production of students who go on to find bountiful employment, regardless of their qualifications in their ability to lead the good life or their knowledge of the world.

In this protest the original function of a tertiary institution is forgotten that of a well rounded education. We can observe in South Africa one of the most prominent and well regarded institutions Wits University, recently dissolved their Classical Studies department, as data showed that Classics majors did not get employed to the same extent as say accounts or Law.

Classics is the study of the foundation of Western Civilization through art, history, philosophy and literature. Surely we lose sight of the origins, basis and foundations of the hegemonic culture of Western Europe and some of the great treasures of the world, if we discontinue studies in such areas due to their ‘unprofitability’. There are still lessons to be learnt from Aristotle, Homer and Plato.

I often hear tones of derision and skepticism from students and parents about useless ‘abstract’ subjects like Philosophy and English Literature. But the reality is that the assessment of the employability of a student, does not take into account the questions of is can we help this student live the good life and can we produce students committed to progress in this country.