College courses with titles such as “Western Civ” and others that are sometimes required, especially at liberal arts colleges and universities were initially created to educate students on “true” culture. However, the texts that were traditionally included in these courses, that were thought to be the best that has been thought and said, an idea first introduced by Matthew Arnold, an English poet and inspector of schools. While he may have been considered a literary expert, he only discussed values that were significant to the upper classes of society. What current college administrators need to ask themselves is that based on where these courses originated, is it justified to continue offering them at their institutions?

Current Backlash from Students

As students become more and more vocal and educated on cultural and societal issues that our country faces, more problems with “Western Civ” courses become apparent. Students saw that these courses pushed the idea that “Western” culture was somehow better than others. As these issues became apparent, students at universities and colleges across the country push for the courses and curriculum to be altered or modified. Even here at Colgate, there were protests to change the Core curriculum, especially Legacies of the Ancient World and Challenges of Modernity, which were most similar to the “Western Civ” courses. While attempts at change have been made, there is still opposition from both faculty and students. From Jeffrey Leyton’s article “Whose Core Curriculum?” linked above, it seems that students tend to think that university has not done enough, while some professors worry that too much change will cause a drop in the Core curriculum’s academic rigor if certain requirements or texts are removed or added. 

Matthew Arnold’s View of Society

In Arnold’s book outlining the literature that he deemed necessary for society to learn in order to achieve a perfect culture, entitled Culture and Anarchy, he describes there being three categories of classes in a population. While he did have criticism for each class, it was clear that he focused his distaste on the middle class. Arnold believed that as a whole, the middle class was solely focused on making money and drove society away from achieving a greater cultural identity. This, along with the rest of his book, is a prime example of entitlement and classism. Due to Arnold’s upbringing within the aristocracy of England, he was given the opportunity to have a good education, where he had access to those texts that are often included in “Western Civ” curriculum. However, his literary prowess did not entitle him to judge and demean those that were unable to have access to the same education as him. 

The Creation of “Western Civ” 

The same criticism that Arnold had for English society and culture during his time is similar to that of the faculty and administrators who first introduced “Western Civ” courses and institutions of higher education in America. The original purpose of these courses was to bring European history and culture to light within college classrooms. Originally these classes were extremely popular at institutions across the country, especially in the early to mid 19th century. In The Rise and Fall of the Western Civilization Course, Gilbert Allardyce argues that this interest most likely stemmed from Americans wanting to learn from European countries with more historically influential cultures. However, during the civil rights protest in the 1960s, students began to see the flaws in these courses. Many of the texts traditionally taught in the course came from European countries leading the colonial era, which inherently restricted freedoms for many people. Those who were in support of “Western Civ” courses like Allardyce believed that the course would teach students cultural ideals to promote freedoms, but students saw how the values taught in the courses did not promote freedoms for all people. Not only was this true for European countries, but the “freedom” that was provided to a select few could be seen in the United States as well. The promise of America being the “land of the free” continues to only apply to certain groups of peoples in the country. Colleges and universities that still offer courses such as “Western Civ” must ask whether the values and ideals that are demonstrated through the texts taught in the course are beneficial to a student’s education.

Looking Forward

While there is no simple solution, it is essential for universities to consider that the flawed origins of these courses and that representation of cultures and ideals outside of the “West” are fundamental additions if the courses are to continue to be relevant. If not, the values that are taught within these courses will keep being disputed by students.

Aaron Jaynes (Author)

I am a sophomore at Colgate University from New Haven, Connecticut. I’m planning on majoring in Molecular Biology with a minor in Psychology.