stmhumanities

Works like the Classified Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Trades and Encyclopedias are shining examples of the belief in the Enlightenment era that education should be attainable for all. Prior to this epoch, education and knowledge were mostly reserved for the upper class. The Enlightenment stressed the importance that knowledge is only useful if society has access to it.

If these forward thinkers of the Enlightenment could view today’s society, I’m not sure what they would think. While the internet has made seemingly endless information available to most people, attaining a great education at a top tier school is increasingly becoming reserved for the elite. Colleges, in an attempt to be deemed more “elite,” take pride in low acceptance rates. Should this be the point of education? The pursuit of status? It doesn’t seem right to me. Ideally, “elite private colleges” would adapt an Enlightenment-esque mindset and make their great educations available to more.