Education’s End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life

Education’s End is a passionate and provocative argument that American colleges and universities have abandoned their most vital responsibility: helping students confront the question of what living is for. Anthony T. Kronman, former dean of Yale Law School and a distinguished professor of law, traces how three powerful movements — political correctness, the research ideal, and the culture of specialization — have conspired to drive the question of life’s meaning from the college classroom.

Kronman argues that the humanities, which once served as the natural home for exploring questions of value, purpose, and the good life, have been hollowed out by ideological conformity and a misguided emphasis on diversity that paradoxically narrows intellectual inquiry. At the same time, the sciences have absorbed the prestige and resources of the university, leaving humanistic education marginalized and defensive.

The book calls for a revival of the great books tradition and a renewed commitment to what Kronman calls ‘secular humanism’ — the idea that the study of great works of literature, philosophy, and history can help students develop the wisdom and judgment they need to lead meaningful lives. Education’s End is both a lament for what has been lost and a blueprint for what might be recovered.