As part of a class I'm taking, I have to read two books of my choosing about (what else?) controversial issues in education. I've just written my review of the first one, and I thought I'd summarize a piece of it below in case you're looking for something to read.
The book is The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. Its subtitle "How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Todays Students" tells you everything you need to know about the book. What follows is a sometimes rambling treatise on the state of university education in the 1980s. Sadly, things have not improved since then, as Bloom's critique of university students rings true today as it did 20 years ago. The book itself is a bit of a dry read, as Bloom shows the unfortunate habit of rambling off the main topic to unpack minor side details. Indeed, a reader with a basic background in philosophy could easily skip Part II and not miss much, as Bloom spends copious time dealing with the intricate details of the philosophical roots of the modern American university situation. Far more interesting are Parts I and III, which deal with Bloom's observations of the present.
Overall, this book is an interesting read for those interested in university education or in philosophy in general. Be warned, though, that it is not a light read.
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