Not so long ago, conservatives, disappointed with colleges and universities, loved them still, thought them irreplaceable, and fought to preserve what was best in them. Today, they ridicule them for excessive political correctness and lament their liberalizing influence on America's next generation. But at least one influential conservative still believes in our nation's institutions of higher education and values their contribution to society.
A lecture at the University of New England Center for Global Humanities will examine the conservative argument for a liberal education when scholar Jonathan Marks presents "Conservatives on the Quad" on Monday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. at Innovation Hall at UNE's Portland Campus.
The chair of Politics and International Relations at Ursinus College, Marks has published widely on modern and contemporary political philosophy in journals like the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics, the Journal of American Political Science, and the Review of Politics. He is also the author of "Let's Be Reasonable: A Conservative Case for Liberal Education," which was published earlier this year by the Princeton University Press, and "Perfection and Disharmony in the Thought of Jean Jacques Rousseau." In addition, Marks has written on the topic of higher education for Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Weekly Standard, and the Wall Street Journal.
In this lecture, Marks will draw from "Let's Be Reasonable" to argue that the purpose of our nation's colleges is to create people who are reasonable. And that, despite the steady stream of criticism they have faced recently from prominent conservative voices, colleges are still succeeding. Now, more than ever, Marks will argue, conservatives must not give up on liberal education.
This fourth lecture of the Fall 2021 season for the Center for Global Humanities will be followed by one more in December. Lectures at the Center are always free, open to the public, and streamed live online. Masks are required indoors on UNE's campuses regardless of vaccination status.
For more information and to watch the event, please visit: https://www.une.edu/events/2021/conservatives-quad
