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 The
Uses of a Liberal Education: And Other Talks to Students by Brand Blanshard,
Eugene Freeman (Editor)
In this volume, Eugene Freeman has helpfully collected
and edited twenty-three talks by rationalist philosopher Brand
Blanshard, twentieth century philosophy's finest exemplar of what he
himself called the "rational temper."
The talks are grouped loosely around the theme,
"What is the purpose of education?" They are divided into
three sections: "Ends," a series of eight talks in which the
question is pretty directly addressed; "Corollaries," eight
talks in which several related issues are canvassed; and
"Homilies," a group of seven "humanistic sermons" in
which Blanshard offers reflective advice on matters from
"books" to "courage" to "admiration."
I won't try to summarize the specific content of this
broad collection, but the overall thrust is the same as that of
Blanshard's philosophy in general. Basically, Blanshard identifies
education with philosophy, not as a narrow technical specialty but as
the broad attempt to "see things steadily and whole." He
develops this theme with his usual style, grace, vigor, and urbanity,
and very effectively excoriates the antirationalism of most of the
twentieth century.
Readers new to Blanshard and without much background
in philosophy might want to start with this volume, which is uniformly
accessible and non-technical and deals with themes that will be of
general interest. Many passages present nontechnical discussions of
themes Blanshard treats at greater length in his longer works
(particularly _Reason and Goodness_). Most of these discussions cover
territory that will be familiar to Blanshard's longtime readers, but
even they (well, "we") will find some new delights here. (I am
thinking particularly of "Sanity in Thought and Art," which is
cited several times in _The Philosophy of Brand Blanshard_ but is not in
print anywhere else.)
As Blanshard notes in this volume, our admirations
tell us something about ourselves and prompt us to become more fully
what we are and should be. One object of my own admirations is Blanshard
himself, and I recommend his works highly for the inspiration I have
drawn therefrom.
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