Platonic perspective of liberal arts education
topic of Eureka College lecture

march 17 - 7:30 pm - cerf center

Eureka College philosophy professor Scott Hemmenway will present "What is a Liberal Arts Education?: A Platonic Perspective" at 7:30 p.m. March 17 in the Cerf Center at Eureka College. A reception will follow.

The free presentation, which is open to the public, will address some of Greek philosopher Plato’s ideas that relate to a liberal arts education. “Almost nothing evidences the health of a liberal arts college more than the presence of a lively conversation about what exactly is a liberal arts education,” Hemmenway said. “I will contribute to this conversation by drawing some ideas from Plato's works that are relevant to such topics as how we go about fostering the mutual development of intellect and character and how we balance liberal arts with professional programs.”

Hemmenway joined the Eureka College faculty in 1989. He has taught courses in philosophy and ancient Greek, and he was the 2007 recipient of the Helen Cleaver Distinguished Teaching Award. He received a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., and a master’s degree and doctorate, both from Penn State University, University Park, Pa.  

Hemmenway has written numerous articles and conference papers on Plato's philosophy, and he received two summer research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He spent a sabbatical leave as a visiting scholar at the Department of Philosophy at Boston University. He is completing a monograph about the myth of Atlantis as it appears in Plato’s writings.

The presentation is the third and final Clarence R. Noe Dean’s Lecture to be given by Eureka College faculty members this academic year. For more information, call (309) 467-6301.

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Contact:

Michele Lehman

Media Relations Coordinator

mlehman@eureka.edu

(309) 467-6318