Not conservative as in “conservative vs. liberal” but conservative as in “conserving.” The NYT yesterday highlighted several programs across the nation which are attempting to restore a core curriculum in the liberal arts, including the new Western Civilization program at UTAustin. Of course, the Times — which sniffs suspiciously at any challenge to its prevailing orthodoxies — noted several funding sources that make it look political, but I thought that point was ably handled by UT’s chair of the Department of Philosophy:
“The kind of thing that we’re proposing and developing transcends all those political differences whether you’re right, left or center,” said Robert Koons, the director of Texas’ program, who describes himself as a run-of-the-mill Republican. “It’s not the answers, but the questions”…
