Mark Edmunson on Nurturing Ideals in a Cynical Age | Education. Elevated. EP 6

🎙️ Education. Elevated. | A Podcast by Avenues The World School

In this episode of Education. Elevated., Todd Shy, Head of School at Avenues New York, speaks with Mark Edmundson, University of Virginia professor and author of Self and Soul: A Defense of Ideals, about the deeper work of education—and what may be missing from it today.Edmundson argues that while critical thinking is essential, a culture of relentless debunking can leave students detached, cynical, and unsure of what to live for. Education, he suggests, must help young people move beyond critique toward ideals that offer purpose, coherence, and moral direction.From the power of reading to the influence of great teachers, and from Emerson and Nietzsche to Walt Whitman’s democratic vision, this conversation explores how schools can shape not only sharp minds—but whole human beings.

🔹 What happens when skepticism becomes an end in itself?
 🔹 Can schools teach ideals without indoctrination?
 🔹 Why reading still matters in an age of distraction
 🔹 How teachers change lives in quiet, lasting ways

Join us for a reflective, ideas-forward conversation about education, formation, and the lives schools help students build.

#EducationPodcast #ThoughtLeadership #FutureOfEducation #LiberalArts #Teaching #Reading #MarkEdmundson

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