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“TheHeart of the Matter,” the just-released report by the American Academy of Artsand Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for affirming the importance of thehumanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberaldemocracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report's failure to address thetrue nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm thangood.
In2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS askingthat it identify actions that could be taken by "federal, state and localgovernments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors andothers" to "maintain national excellence in humanities and socialscientific scholarship and education."In response, the American Academyformed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among thecommission's 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars, lawyers,judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy,filmmaking, music and journalism.
Thegoals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because representativegovernment presupposes an informed citizenry, the report supports fullliteracy; stresses the study of history and government, particularly Americanhistory and American government; and encourages the use of new digitaltechnologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increasedinvestment in research, the crafting of coherent curricula that improvestudents' ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21stcentury, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars tobring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The reportalso advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs andthe expansion of study abroad programs.
Unfortunately,despite 2½ years in the making, "The Heart of the Matter" never gets tothe heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at ourleading colleges and universities. The commission ignores that for severaldecades America's colleges and universities have produced graduates who don'tknow the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived ofits benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has beenreplaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing"progressive," or left-liberal propaganda.
Today,professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history andprogressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portrayingconservative or classical liberal ideas—such as free markets or self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes legitimate,intellectual investigation.
TheAAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may wellset back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congressasked it to illuminate.
36. According to Paragraph 1, what isthe author’s attitude toward the AAAS’s report?
[A]Critical
[B]Appreciative
[C]Contemptuous
[D]Tolerant
37. Influential figures in the Congressrequired that the AAAS report on how to
[A]retain people’s interest in liberal education.
[B]define the government’s role in education.
[C]keep a leading position in liberal education.
[D]safeguard individuals rights to education.
38. According to Paragraph 3, the reportsuggests
[A]an exclusive study of American history.
[B]a greater emphasis on theoretical subjects.
[C]the application of emerging technologies.
[D]funding for the study of foreign languages.
39. The author implies in Paragraph 5that professors are
[A]supportive of free markets.
[B]cautious about intellectual investigation.
[C]conservative about public policy.
[D]biased against classical liberal ideas.
40. Which of the following would be thebest title for the text?
[A]Ways to Grasp “The Heart of the Matter”
[B]Illiberal Education and “The Heart of the Matter”
[C]The AAAS’s Contribution to Liberal Education
[D]Progressive Policy vs. Liberal Education
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