Union College Founders Day talk focuses on value of liberal education

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The College celebrated Founders Day Thursday, Feb. 24, with an emphasis on preserving its role as a leader and innovator at a time when the value of a liberal arts education is under attack.

In her keynote address, noted author and philosopher Martha Nussbaum praised the College for its pioneering role, stating “its core, throughout its history, has been the idea of liberal arts education, including an emphasis on writing, ethical reasoning, historical study, and courses in literature, civilization and foreign languages.”

Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, is a passionate advocate for the liberal arts and the author of numerous books, including “Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities” (Princeton University Press, 2010).