Whewell and Holmes both hold the view that liberal arts are crucial to a meaningful education, but how they affirm their beliefs diverge a bit.  Whewell holds what he refers to as “the classics” as what should be the foundation of all learning, stating that we must know about the philosophies and truths of the past to comprehend and judge present philosophies and interpretations of the truth as well as use old truths as foundations for new truths.  But what is Whewell’s truth?  He believes that classical authors were respected for their truths and therefore should always be considered as truth.  To apply this to the topic of liberal arts, Whewell would say that to be human, liberal arts, are needed, for the truth of the old philosophers bleeds into all aspects of the world.  The thing is, human truths are always changing and evolving…

Holmes has a very different opinion on what should be the foundation of liberal arts.  Whilst Holmes recognizes the merit of past thinkers, he believes that a liberal education is more than just that.  Like Whewell, Holmes believes that a liberal arts education can transform a person and make them more human, and such knowledge is critical to be more whole.  To Holmes, a person may find true liberty through a deeper knowledge of the world, and he considers provocation of thought and exploration of humanity through the eyes of God as “our highest calling”.

Holmes’s points resonated with me much more than Whewell in that I found Holmes’s way of writing was considerably easier to comprehend than Whewell.  Perhaps my own bias also drives my view, for Holmes writes from a Christian perspective.  I understand where Whewell is coming from, and his emphasis on how we must have a foundation, but I disagree in where he builds his foundation.  After all, as a Christ-follower, my foundation should be Christ.  I love indulging in Holmes’s belief that man “is more than basically a man”, that there is more to life than to breathe and have breath, and a liberal arts education is a great way to explore what makes us human.