Is "radical" good or bad.

[Dill]

(06-06-2019, 07:06 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Nothing wrong with knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but most people don’t have that kind of money to throw around in pursuit of enrichment.

I think you might have put your finger on an important (from my perspective) problem--people view that "surplus" knowledge as as added expense, having no broader horizon of applicability than personal interest/recreation, and so running a poor second to training that pays the bills.

I regard "enrichment" as more a public than a private good in any liberal democracy. If that were not the case, our illiberal friends on the right would not be taking so much trouble to demonize universities and push STEM training over "useless" humanities education--the kind that provides students with background and depth of civic knowledge for assessing current political issues.

Granted, from an employer's perspective, critical thinking and research skills may not be a plus for many jobs. But some do require that, especially higher paying ones. That's why our corporate employers, with no interest whatsoever in Aristotle or Chaucer, are so genuinely happy to see applicants with BAs in Philosophy and English.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2015/07/29/liberal-arts-degree-tech/#3367d41745d2

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-to-do-with-a-ba-in-e_b_4204376

https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-majors/humanities