What is at stake in compromising the Enlightenment ideals of a liberal
education with new educational policies engendered by a neo-liberalized,
global marketplace? Richly grounding his arguments in the social
philosophy of European and American intellectuals, Raphael Sassower
explores Western culture's long-standing ambivalence toward 'the life of
the mind.' He shows how and why this historical legacy contributes to
today's confusion over goals and values in contemporary education. He
sheds new light on many of today's controversies, showing why the
demands of technology and a global economy increase society's need for
'educational sanctuaries' of liberal education, intellectual 'play' and
social consciousness that may better serve the diverse and often
conflicting needs of a changing world.