In Defense Of A Liberal Education

Zakaria argues throughout the text that the combination of a strong liberal arts background, which fosters critical thinking and effective communication skills, and technical knowledge offers great opportunities for advancement in various arenas, including business and the field of education itself. He thus emphasizes the value of adaptability and creativity in education in various ways.

Zakaria regards adaptability and creativity as key elements of a robust liberal arts education, which he believes brings many direct benefits to students and private industries alike. He cites Bruce Nussbaum’s 2005 observation that the “creative economy” has eclipsed the “knowledge economy,” with a liberal education supporting the creativity necessary for innovation: “You can make a sneaker equally well in many parts of the world. But you can’t sell it for three hundred dollars unless you have built a story around it […] The value added is the brand—how it is imagined, presented, sold, and sustained” (83).

Zakaria thus also stresses that the adaptability and creativity offered by the liberal arts are highly sought qualities by many employers in today’s competitive job market. Zakaria combats the idea that liberal arts courses do not translate into marketable skills by emphasizing that the verbal communication skills, critical thinking, writing abilities, and curiosity instilled by a liberal arts education are all applicable in many diverse fields, including