Plato taught his students to appreciate logic and order, ideals and beauty. Later teachers included the study of the growing fields of science and the burgeoning wealth of literature. They broadened the study of societies, governments, and history. But the main purpose of traditional liberal education stayed the same. It was designed to develop one s critical faculty, so necessary to the pursuit of wisdom and virtue.
Some people argue that wisdom and virtue are much less important than job training.
They are not sure it benefits young people in this world to have ideals they feel passionately about, to have broad interests that excite and consume them, and to have an awareness of the joys and sorrows of people who live far away, or next door. This may be too much to ask, they argue, of the ordinary person struggling to make a living. Better to focus on learning some specific set of skills, because then at least one has a chance of getting a job. Many business leaders say it does. They argue that the job market has changed.