Overview
In “Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education,” William Cronon explores the meaning of the liberal arts, pointing out that the term’s origins link it to ideas of freedom and growth. At the center of the essay is a list: a list of the ten qualities Cronon thinks are most embodied by liberally educated people—although he notes that these are not qualities anyone can definitively embody. Their cultivation is a lifelong process.
Here at the beginning of your college journey, use Cronon’s essay as a jumping-off point for thinking about your own intellectual values, where they come from, and how you hope your education will help you to further cultivate them.
Specifically, you are to write a short “Intellectual Autobiography” (2 double-spaced pages, approximately 650 words), exploring the influences and life experiences that have molded you into the person you are today. What are your enduring interests and passions? How have your family, community, and education shaped your life? Pay special attention to how your life experiences have informed your intellectual values. Has your upbringing led you to especially value curiosity? Logic? Empathy? Beauty? Finally, consider Cronon’s list of ten qualities. Which of these qualities do you think your life has cultivated in you most strongly? In which of these qualities are you weakest? (Nobody’s perfect.) Do you think Cronon left anything important off of his list—would your list be any different?
This essay is important because it will help me to get a better sense of who you are and to identify your strengths and areas that need additional growth. While this assignment will count toward your final grade, I am not especially concerned with the quality of your prose. Instead, I am primarily interested in the thoughtfulness of your writing—how seriously you take the assignment and how authentically you reflect on your life. So, take this as an opportunity to “write to learn” without the pressure of being evaluated on grammar, syntax, and so on.