In traveling about contemporary academia, especially the haunts of philosophy and English, one is likely to stumble upon the lair of a new monster, one that bears considerable resemblance to Hawthorne's dreamy vision. The name of this huge miscreant is Critical Thinking--a name uttered by professors and students with more awe than understanding.…

A reasonable estimate puts the number of living American holders of honorary degrees at about 150,000. This inflated figure and a general lack of seriousness--Kermit the Frog, for instance, delivered the commencement address at Southampton College in 1996--trouble the author of this article. He suggests that the practice might somehow be adjusted…

Three faculty members of Concordia University in Montreal, who played integral roles in the formation of a highly successful core curriculum as part of their institution, discuss the logistics, the politics, and the philosophy behind the founding and growth of their Liberal Arts College. For Harvey Shulman, the program, which has attracted…

Three faculty members of Concordia University in Montreal, who played integral roles in the formation of a highly successful core curriculum as part of their institution, discuss the logistics, the politics, and the philosophy behind the founding and growth of their Liberal Arts College. For Frederick Krantz, their program is Platonic. The author…

Three faculty members of Concordia University in Montreal, who played integral roles in the formation of a highly successful core curriculum as part of their institution, discuss the logistics, the politics, and the philosophy behind the founding and growth of their Liberal Arts College. For Geoffrey Fidler, their program echoes Spinoza's…