This essay is not light reading, and it shouldn't be. It deserves an audience far wider than educators and those directly invested in schooling—it matters to every citizen concerned with the future of our democracies.
"We still claim to value democracy and political participation (…) freedom of speech, respect for difference, understanding of the other.
Fortunately we do respect these values, but we rarely stop to ask what we must do to pass them on to the next generation—to ensure they survive.
Distracted by the pursuit of wealth, we increasingly pressure our schools to teach the skills of businessmen rather than the virtues of citizens."
These lines capture Nussbaum's central argument. She makes a compelling case for why we cannot ignore a danger already unfolding: the humanities are vanishing from our schools, crowded out by science and technical training in service of economic gain and corporate interests.
M.B., 2011