A claim that is made by many conservatives about liberal arts majors is that they are irresponsible and fail to prepare themselves for life. I would like to address this argument.

First, the skills that are taught in liberal arts can be useful in any number of pursuits. They learn critical thinking, which is useful in just about anything, including engineering and business. The skills that they learn in logic and philosophy classes has applications all over the place, and people who have them can become highly effective individuals.

Another is that these people learn all sort of useful knowledge. Philosophy does not lead to disappearance of religion; it enhances the understanding thereof. It takes someone with knowledge of philosophy to have communicable insight into religion. Many of these people are wisdom-seekers. And people interested in truth and wisdom in religion stand to see these people as compatriots.

When I was in the university, I felt like I had no permission from my family to pursue liberal arts education. I double-majored in economics and psychology with a minor in math. But the people who interested me the most in my adult life had been arts and philosophy majors. I envied these people. So I have learned such things outside the university setting and can now hold my own to them.

Is it irresponsible to pursue liberal arts education? Once again, liberal arts education teaches skills that can be useful in many pursuits. In addition, it helps people become better at figuring out what is true and what isn’t. The knowledge that they cultivate contribute to many things. And it is wrong to see these people as irresponsible.