From Liberal to Conservative: Embracing the True Spirit of Education

In the shifting landscape of modern education, I now proudly consider myself a conservative in this domain. I do not back away from this label but embrace it, for the values I hold dear—those of intellectual freedom, critical thought, and true inclusivity—come from the very foundations of classical liberal education. The irony, however, is that the modern "liberal" agenda has reversed what was once understood as the essence of these principles. Figures like Plato, Descartes, and Voltaire, who championed individualism and critical thought, are now being sidelined, and the liberal arts have been deemed "conservative" by those who misunderstand their core.

True inclusivity comes not from rejecting the past but from engaging with it. The great thinkers of Western civilization—Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Voltaire—did not offer narrow or exclusionary ideas.

They laid the groundwork for individualism, self-reflection, and the pursuit of truth. In their works, we find the seeds of critical thought and the values of a truly inclusive education, one that celebrates human potential and intellectual diversity.

The Classical Tradition: True Individualism and Critical Thought

The liberal arts, as they were originally conceived, were about far more than imparting facts or professional skills. They were about nurturing the whole person, cultivating wisdom and virtue, and teaching students how to think critically about the world around them. Plato’s Republic, for instance, presents a rigorous examination of justice, the soul, and the ideal society (Plato, Republic). This is not simply an intellectual exercise; it is a challenge to each reader to reflect on their own values and the society they inhabit. Plato’s dialogues push us toward the very kind of critical thinking and self-examination that is now dismissed by many under the guise of "progress."

Descartes, similarly, laid the foundation for modern thought with his method of doubt, encouraging individuals to question everything and to build knowledge from a place of certainty (Descartes, Meditations). In doing so, he empowered the individual mind to seek truth independently. Voltaire, with his biting critiques of authority and dogma, championed the cause of reason and human rights, making a powerful case for the freedom of thought (Voltaire, Candide). These thinkers were the original proponents of inclusivity—champions of the individual's ability to reason, question, and discover truth.

Yet today, the liberal agenda claims that the way forward is through rejecting these very thinkers, sidelining the great works of Western civilization in favor of revisionist history and cultural relativism. This is a tragic misunderstanding. If we are to promote true inclusivity, it must be through engaging with the great works of the past, not by casting them aside. After all, how can we teach students to think critically if we deprive them of the opportunity to grapple with the ideas of thinkers who have shaped the modern world?

The Liberal Agenda: A Reversal of Core Values

The modern liberal agenda, which prides itself on inclusivity and progress, ironically seeks to exclude the very works that have fostered individualism and critical thought for centuries. Cultural relativists and postmodernists argue that the Western canon is exclusionary, that it represents only the voices of dead white men, and that it must be replaced with works that reflect a broader diversity of perspectives (Foucault, Discipline and Punish). While it is important to introduce students to a wide range of viewpoints, this should not come at the cost of dismissing the foundations of intellectual inquiry.

Richard Rorty, in Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, critiques traditional philosophy while simultaneously warning against the wholesale abandonment of intellectual traditions. He argues that while philosophy should not aim for objective truth, it should challenge and expand our understanding of the world (Rorty, 1979). To abandon the classical tradition in favor of a purely contemporary curriculum is to misunderstand the purpose of education itself.

The metaphor of the Ship of Theseus is particularly apt here: if we remove one plank of the ship after another—Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Descartes—at what point does it cease to be the same ship? If we continue to remove the great thinkers from the curriculum and replace them with modern relativists, can we still call it a liberal arts education? I argue that we cannot. When we dismantle the tradition that has cultivated critical thought for millennia, we do a great disservice to students and to society at large.

Reintroducing the Classics: Preserving the Heart of Liberal Education

At The Barrett School, we are committed to reintroducing the classical liberal arts curriculum. This is not an exercise in nostalgia; it is a recognition of the enduring value of these works in fostering critical thought, individualism, and inclusivity. By teaching students Latin and Greek, and by re-engaging them with the works of Plato, Descartes, Aristotle, and Voltaire, we aim to preserve the essence of liberal education—an education that truly liberates the mind.

The liberal arts curriculum of the past produced some of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment—Locke, Rousseau, Kant—who, in turn, inspired the democratic ideals that underpin modern society (Locke, Two Treatises of Government; Rousseau, The Social Contract). These ideas are not conservative in the sense of being backward-looking or resistant to change; rather, they are timeless principles that continue to offer profound insights into human nature and society. By engaging with these works, students learn how to think for themselves, how to challenge assumptions, and how to engage with complex moral and philosophical questions.

In contrast, the modern curriculum, with its focus on cultural relativism and contemporary social issues, often encourages students to adopt a narrow, ideologically driven perspective. While it is important to introduce students to a wide range of perspectives, this should be done in dialogue with the great works of the past, not in opposition to them. Foucault and Chomsky offer valuable critiques of power and authority, but these critiques are most meaningful when students can engage with them in the context of a broader intellectual tradition (Foucault, 1977; Chomsky, Media Control).

The Path Forward: Embracing Conservative Education

In my lifetime, I have witnessed a dramatic shift in educational ideology. What was once considered the hallmark of liberal education—engagement with the great works of Western civilization—has now been cast as conservative. But I embrace this shift, not because I reject progress, but because I believe that true progress comes from engaging with the wisdom of the past. As Wittgenstein once said, the history of philosophy is a series of footnotes to Plato, and it is through engagement with these foundational thinkers that we can continue to move forward (Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations).

The liberal arts tradition, far from being exclusionary or outdated, offers a model of education that is truly inclusive—one that encourages students to think critically, to engage with diverse perspectives, and to develop the intellectual tools needed to navigate an increasingly complex world. As we reintroduce these works into our curriculum, we aim to provide students with an education that is not only rigorous but also liberating.

The modern "liberal" agenda has it all backward. True inclusivity and individual thought do not come from rejecting the great thinkers of the past; they come from engaging with them. As we look to the future, I am proud to stand for an education that preserves the wisdom of the past while equipping students to think critically about the challenges of the present.

References:

• Chomsky, Noam. Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. Seven Stories Press, 2002.

• Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 1996.

• Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Pantheon Books, 1977.

• Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Awnsham Churchill, 1689.

• Plato. Republic. Hackett Publishing Company, 1992.

• Rorty, Richard. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Princeton University Press, 1979.

• Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract. Penguin Classics, 1968.

• Voltaire. Candide. Penguin Books, 1947.

• Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Philosophical Investigations. Blackwell Publishing, 1953.