“200 Classics in Four Years”
President Pano Kanelos recently spoke at the 2018 International Forum on Liberal Education, a conference on the liberal arts held in Korea. Here, he is interviewed by reporter Yoon Seok-Man of Korea’s JoongAng News. The article has been translated by Hyun Jai Oh (A19). The original article can be found here.
In the modern world, where the emphasis on science and technology is greater than ever, do we still need liberal education? Do liberal arts have any usefulness in Korea, where the phrase “Moon-Song (shortened for “Moongwaraseo Joesonghamnida,” which means, “I am sorry that I am a liberal arts major”)” is gaining popularity? St. John’s College, a prestigious institute in the United States, completely breaks this prejudice against liberal education. The school does not have a major, such as philosophy or economics. Every student at St. John’s studies the same curriculum and receives a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts upon graduation. No one uses a textbook in class, but St. John’s is considered one of the best colleges in the world.
The key is the 200 great books on the program. For four years, students focus on reading, discussing, and writing on great books, ranging from Socrates to Nietzsche. Nevertheless, the graduates of St. John’s College enter a broad range of career fields: some of them work at prominent Information Technology companies, while many students go to medical schools and law schools. Last September, the New York Times called St. John’s College “the most contrarian college in America,” as it became one of the most progressive schools by solely and deeply exploring the past.
On November 20, I met President Panayiotis Kanelos, who visited Korea for the 2018 International Forum on Liberal Education. The Korean Ministry of Education and Korean Council for University Education hosted the event, and Korea National Institute for General Education supervised. The topic of the Forum was “The world of change and the rediscovery of general education.”
President Kanelos brought up the recent research conducted by Google.
“Google conducted ten-year research on its high-performers,” President Kanelos said. “At first, the company predicted that the majority of the high-performers would be the ones with an engineering background. However, the result showed that the most successful employees were the ones with a cooperative mindset, creativity, and communications ability. These characteristics are built by liberal arts education.”
Yoon Seok-Man: Isn’t scientific knowledge, such as computer coding, more important nowadays?
Pano Kanelos: Technology is critical, but its foundation is liberal arts. Science and technology give answers to “How,” but liberal arts give you a chance to think about “What.” It is humans that provide value to science and put souls into technology.
There is a popular phrase in Korea: “Moon-Song” (shorthand for “Moongwaraseo Joesonghamnida,” which means, “I am sorry that I am a liberal arts major”). It shows that liberal arts majors are having a hard time getting a job.
The situations were similar in the United States as well. However, more people are starting to recognize the importance of general liberal arts education. With only scientific knowledge, you cannot generate creativity or innovation, due to lack of perspective. We don’t study just liberal arts at St. John’s—we also examine the connection between liberal arts and science. This is why many graduates pursue careers in computer science or medicine.
Is it true that St. John’s College does not have a major?
We do not have a major. Every student goes through the same four-year curriculum. Freshmen study ancient Greek classics, beginning with Homer’s Iliad; Sophomores study the writings of medieval and renaissance era; Juniors encounter science with Copernicus; and Seniors explore modern philosophers such as Nietzsche.
Who chooses the 200 books in the program?
St. John’s implemented the current curriculum in 1937; we still study those books decided then. A book must go through the “test of time” to be recognized as a great book. Any book published less than 100 years ago needs more time until it can be qualified to be on the program.
The concept of liberal education is unfamiliar to Koreans.
Korean parents obsess over their children’s success, but they say that they do not know how. Everyone has different standards for success—yet, vocational education will not be sufficient for any of those standards. In the future, you must do something that artificial intelligence cannot. To do so, you should first have a firm understanding of humanity and nature. You need a liberal arts education to reach this goal.
Why do colleges exist?
Colleges nurture the examination of humanity and critical thinking. St. John’s College helps its students to increase these abilities. This is why we call our professors “tutors,” not “professors.” Tutors at St. John’s do not teach—they only help the students.
By Yoon Seok-Man ()