#25

An assessment of the role of humanities and the liberal arts in a well-lived life and in society:

While traveling through Laos this summer, the group I was traveling with visited a friend of a friend of mine (actually the friend we were visiting is my friend sara's fiance). Well, the guy we were visiting (let's call him Mark) worked in a school, teaching English and Laotian languages. He showed us the school's library, and a shocking detail rubbed me in an interesting way: The library did not have many books, English or Laotian. I remember asking Mark why, and he answered, "Most of the students don't know how to read." I learned later that, in fact, only 1/4 of the people of Laos can read and write their native language. Therefore, Mark's job is to first teach the students to read and write their own language first, and only then could teach the people of Laos English.

What does this have to do with the role of humanities and liberal arts in a well-lived life and society? Well, let's compare the difference of my life compared to someone of a similar age in Laos. I am in school, I can read and write, produce thoughts for others to process, I can continue to learn whatever I want, whenever I want, by myself. A similar aged person of Laos most likely cannot read or write and therefore depends on others more heavily than I do. His forms of education must be taught and are even then only resonating on one level (the level of lecture from teacher to student). Furthermore, a huge form of entertainment for me rests in reading and writing. A good day for me constitutes having had the time to read and write. Then again, I guess I can afford to spend the time reading and writing. My equal in Laos, on the other hand, cannot spend that time reading, writing, or even learning to read and write because he/she is too busy working in the fields, making food, trying to survive. The fact that I live in America, where I do not have to work in the field and it does Not take me all day to prepare a meal had a definite effect on my ability and opportunities to read and write.

Out.