R: Colleges are Failing America

What is college for? Formulating an answer to this debate will ultimately require an answer to this fundamental question. Many believe that college in America, especially the upper-class, prestigious colleges of the Ivy Leagues, are not serving their purpose. Many argue that, in place of educating students, colleges should work more towards training them for future jobs. Others may argue that a liberal arts education in philosophy, mathematics, history, and the rest is crucial for a functioning populace, and that the more educated a population is, the more virtuous it becomes. 

The debate on the purpose of college, and whether colleges in America tend to fulfill it or not, can be tackled from various angles. Philosophically or ethically, one can argue for the intrinsic good of a wide-ranging education over a vocational and focused education, or the moral vacuity of the modern college campus. Economically or politically, one can argue about the pragmatics of college, and whether liberal arts colleges and the college system in America is helping our nation create employment, lift its citizens from poverty, and ensure prosperity for all. Finally, and most important, one can question the difference between a liberal arts college (Yale University) and a liberal, art college (Rhode Island School of Design).