CHESTERTOWN, MD—Continuing its ongoing conversation about the value of the liberal arts, the Theta of Maryland chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society will present a talk by philosophy professor Daniel DeNicola, author of Learning to Flourish: A Philosophical Exploration of Liberal Education, on Thursday, March 27.  The lecture, “Flourishing as an Educational Project,” will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Hynson Lounge, Hodson Hall, at Washington College. 

Daniel DeNicola is a professor of philosophy at Gettysburg College whose academic interests include the philosophy of education, theories of the emotions, theoretical and applied ethics, and aspects of epistemology. At Gettysburg, DeNicola has served as Provost and as Vice President for Program Development. He held earlier posts at Rollins College, as provost and as chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

DeNicola has been a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and has led a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar on John Stuart Mill. His Learning to Flourish book was published in 2012 by Continuum International, and he is now writing a book on ignorance. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and a doctorate of education from Harvard University.

Learning to Flourish: A Philosophical Exploration of Liberal Education addresses both praise and criticism of the liberal arts, focusing on their fundamental values and morals. The publisher’s description states that DeNicola “considers age-old obstacles and current threats to liberal education, ultimately asserting its value for and urgent need in a global, pluralistic, technologically advanced society.” In an age in which liberal education is becoming increasingly vulnerable, DeNicola’s book offers a “significant contribution” to the debate on liberal arts education.

– Kathryn Gilley ’14