For roughly thirty years, young people at Western schools and universities have been given the idea of a liberal education, without the substance of historical knowledge. They have been taught isolated 'modules', not narratives, much less chronologies. They have been trained in the formulaic analysis of document excerpts, not in the key skill of reading widely and fast. They have been encouraged to feel empathy with imagined Roman centurions or Holocaust victims, not to write essays about why and how their predicaments arose.
For nearly three decades, students in Western educational institutions have been introduced to the concept of a liberal education that lacks a solid foundation in historical context. Instead of engaging with comprehensive narratives or timelines, they have experienced fragmented learning through isolated modules. This approach has focused on analyzing short excerpts rather than developing the essential skills of extensive and rapid reading.
The educational framework has promoted emotional empathy towards historical figures, such as Roman centurions or Holocaust victims, but has fallen short in encouraging in-depth analysis of the causes and circumstances surrounding their experiences. This method hampers students' ability to articulate their thoughts in essays, limiting their historical understanding to mere feelings rather than critical thinking.
