Generally speaking, a liberal education, as the name suggests, is an education for freedom. As one commentator describes it, “a liberal education ought to make a person independent out of mind, skeptical of authority and received views, prepared to forge an identity for himself or herself, and capable of becoming an individual not bent upon copying other persons.” Accordingly, liberal education is often valued or justified as a means for acquiring the critical thinking skills that are necessary to attain individual autonomy as well as for meeting the demands of an ever changing world.Given this important yet broad purpose, no wonder there is such a vast array of subjects and disciplines that fall within the range of liberal education.

While this understanding of liberal education as the acquisition of critical thinking skills and individual autonomy is currently in fashion, it is not the only understanding.Traditionally, the ultimate purpose had been the pursuit of leisure not critical thinking skills. While developing a critical mind was included in liberal studies, the ultimate purpose was to cultivate a life of reflection that transcends the workday world. Liberal education for leisure sought to break through a perplexed view of the world and awaken wonder at mere being.

Today, the conditions of modern life suggest how out of place a call for leisure sounds. Our attention is directed toward utilitarian pursuits, including the exploitation of our world‘s resources. Surveying contemporary culture, Josef also notes the tendency of work for work‘s sake. This work“obsessed culture makes total claims on time and space, reducing learning to ―the way of expediency,” wherein information and knowledge are accumulated for power and mastery.