Why We Doubt
Public trust in colleges has collapsed, with Pew reporting that seven in ten Americans believe higher education is headed in the wrong direction. A new opinion piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education traces this skepticism back to Allan Bloom and his book The Closing of the American Mind, which encouraged Americans to see campuses as places drifting away from the great books and traditions that once grounded academic life. Today, some leaders call for renewal through civic and classical programs, while others inflame distrust through public exposés. Cynicism spreads quickly and settles deep, yet colleges can regain confidence by turning the nation’s attention back to serious study and the enduring value of a true liberal education.
Wassily Kandinsky, Composition VII (1913). Public domain.