“Education, Democracy, and the Life Worth Living” by Mark Kingwell

       

           In the informative essay “Education, Democracy, and the Life Worth Living” (2008), written by Mark Kingwell, Kingwell claims that there is a great reason to pursue a higher education, but that reason is not for the general education you receive. Kingwell develops this by stating to “Call this familiar mixture of doom and market optimism the standard position” (239). This means that the standard position of higher education is ultimately measured by its usefulness than the actual education. Kingwell highlights that the standard option then adds the soft option: get a degree because the “knowledge economy” will otherwise crush you, and national presidents as well as university presidents favor this soft option. The intended audience for this informative essay is newly college students who may be thinking twice about their education, and people who may be concerned about education generally versus how it prepares the students for the workforce.

            Education can be a difficult topic to discuss. I agree with Kingwell. Education at a national level should be assured that it is worth it. You want to make sure the American people are getting their money’s worth.

             

          Kingwell appeals to logos and ethos when connecting to his audience using logical and ethical standpoints. This essay is strengthened just by using these appeals. He begins to state and breakdown the word “use.” He continues to state that “Something is useful when it has instrumental value” (241), philosophically comparing how useful can higher education can be.