The R Factor

Jay Heinrichs

@jayheinrichs

HOW TO TURN A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE INTO GOLD

These days many people challenge

the value of a liberal arts education.

It’s expensive, and it fails to lead

directly to a job.

"[A] lot of young people no

longer see the trades and

skilled manufacturing as a

viable career. But I promise

you, folks can make a lot

more, potentially, with

skilled manufacturing or

the trades than they might

with an art history degree.”

President Barack Obama

President Obama has said

you should think twice

about the liberal arts. And

he graduated with a liberal

arts degree.

(From Columbia, which requires

students to take art history!)

"If I’m going to take money

from a citizen to put into

education then I’m going to

take that money to create

jobs. So I want that money

to go to degrees where

people can get jobs in this

state. Is it a vital interest of

the state to have more

anthropologists? I don’t

think so."Fla. Governor Rick Scott

Other politicians have

joined in, claiming the

liberal arts don’t lead to

employment.

In a sense, the politicians are right.

In a 2013 survey of 1,000 hiring managers, fewer

than 20% said recent grads were prepared for a job

in their field of study.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/31/more-than-a-college-degree/3324303/

What is going on?

And what can you do

about it?

First, look at what a liberal

arts college

is for…

A liberal education has never

trained students for their first job.

"Once upon a time, 'trainee'

used to be a common job

title. Now companies

expect everyone, recent

graduates included, to be

ready to go on Day One.

The mantle of preparing the

work force, has been

passed to higher ed.”

Philip D. Gardner, director

Collegiate Employment Research Institute

Michigan State University

The companies did

that themselves.

Don’t expect college to train you for

an entry-level job. The liberal arts

don’t do that.

That’s what internships are for.

Yet, employers say they don’t want

trained graduates.

Employers want educated graduates.

93% of employers say…

“A candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think

critically, communicate clearly, and solve

complex problems is more important than their

undergraduate major.”

Hart Research Associates, survey of 318 employers, 2013

3 of 4 employers…

Want more emphasis on:

• Critical thinking

• Complex problem-solving

• Written and oral communication

• Applied knowledge in real-world settings

Most employers say they want graduates with

critical thinking ability.

Most parents agree that critical thinking is a

major outcome.

And most faculty and college presidents list

critical thinking as a chief outcome of a liberal

education.

Source: John Pryor, Senior Research Scientist (Higher Education), Gallup

Employers want critical thinking.

Parents want critical thinking.

Professors and administrators say the liberal

arts teach critical thinking.

So companies should snap up every art history

major, right?

So what’s the problem?

While everyone seems

to agree that critical

thinking is a key

outcome of a college

education, no one can

agree on a definition of

critical thinking.

John Pryor, Senior Researcher (Higher

Education), Gallup

The problem is, employers,

parents, and educators can’t

come up with a common

definition of critical thinking,

let alone describe how a

liberal education teaches it.

Maybe critical thinking is just, you know, thinking. Or not

being stupid or careless. But I believe critical thinking

means more than that.

“Critical thinking is

evaluating whether we

should be convinced that

some claim is true or

some argument is good,

as well as formulating

good arguments.”

Pretty good

definitions

are out there…

“Critical thinking is the

process to determine

whether we are justified

in holding an opinion or

belief.”

But most fail

to tell how

a specific

curriculum

or major

actually produces

critical

thinking.

–Philosophy 101

Let me propose

some criteria for

critical thinking,

keeping in mind

the needs of

employers.

• Ability to communicate

across cultures and time, in

order to understand the

deep background of an

issue, and to overcome

provincial prejudices.

• Ability to evaluate and

measure theories and

propositions; not just

logically but numerically,

through an understanding

of data.

• Inoculation against

manipulation, and the ability

to create consensus.

To see what kind of education leads to

critical thinking, let’s look at some of the

original critical thinkers: the ancient

Greeks and Romans who invented the

liberal arts.

In ancient times, the liberal arts (artes

liberales) formed the education for free

(“liberal”) citizens. These were people

liberated from having to work for others.

The first three liberal arts:

Written and oral fluency in Greek and Latin, a deep understanding

of literature, and an ability to communicate with elites across

nation-states and empires.

Grammar

LogicThe study and use of reasoning; the disciplined pursuit of truth.

RhetoricThe art of persuasion.

These arts did more than foster critical thinking.

They prepared students to lead.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Who, What, When, Where

Why

How

During the Middle Ages, four more

arts joined the original three.

• Grammar

• Logic

• Rhetoric

• Music

• Arithmetic

• Geometry

• Astronomy (or Astrology)

The first three were called the Trivium.

The other four became the Quadrivium.

• Grammar

• Logic

• Rhetoric

• Music

• Arithmetic

• Geometry

• Astronomy (or Astrology)

(The Trivium is the origin

of the word “trivial.” Haters

gotta hate.)

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Arithmetic

Geometry

Astronomy

The original Trivium prepared young

people for leadership, teaching them

critical thinking and other skills they

needed to take their roles in society.

But in light of current employers’ needs,

the Trivium can use a little updating.

What if we took all 7 liberal arts and boiled them

down to 3? We could create a

NEW TRIVIUM

—a liberal education suited for leadership today.

Keep in mind my earlier

description of critical thinking.

• Ability to communicate across cultures and time, in

order to understand the deep background of an

issue, and to overcome provincial prejudices.

• Ability to evaluate and measure issues, questions,

theories, and propositions—not just logically but

numerically, through an understanding of data.

• Inoculation against psychological manipulation,

and the ability to create a consensus.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Arithmetic

Geometry

Astronomy

It seems natural to combine Arithmetic

and Geometry into a single art:

Math.

Critical thinking: Evaluate and measure theories and propositions; not

just logically but numerically, through an understanding of data.

+

Arithmetic

Geometry

MATH

+

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Arithmetic

Geometry

Astronomy

And while we’re at it, how about including

Astronomy, which from the beginning as

depended heavily on

Math?

Critical thinking: Evaluate and measure theories and propositions;

not just logically but numerically, through an understanding of data.

Arithmetic

Geometry

Astronomy

MATH & SCIENCE

+

While the scientific method is important for any citizen to know,

the key asset of Math & Science for leadership purposes is the

ability to understand the use of numbers. So, if you were to

combine Math & Science into a single, 21st-century career-

oriented art, you could call it the Art of Numbers, or the Art of

Data. But this art is more than about merely understanding

numbers. It’s an art of leadership—or using data to bring about

choices. So let’s call it:

Decision Metrics

Mathematics Natural Sciences Physics Astronomy Sociology Economics

Critical thinking: Evaluate and measure theories and propositions;

not just logically but numerically, through an understanding of data.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Decision Metrics

Our New Trivium has 5

remaining arts.

Let’s try to get it down to 3.

(Otherwise, it’s not a Trivium!)

Grammar doesn’t seem very useful. Isn’t

that just nouns and verbs—things you

learn in grammar school?Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Decision Metrics

GrammarThe ability to absorb and communicate messages across

cultures and time.

But go back to the ancients. They

taught grammar as an essential

art of leadership. So let’s not

throw out Grammar right away.

Critical thinking: communicate across cultures and time, in order to understand the

deep background of an issue, and to overcome provincial prejudices.

How about Music? Doesn’t it help us

communicate across cultures and time?

Let’s absorb it into Grammar.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Music

Decision Metrics

Most of the humanities fall under this art.

GRAMMAR

Critical thinking: communicate across cultures and time, in order to understand

the deep background of an issue, and to overcome provincial prejudices.

History Literature Languages Anthropology & Archaeology

Women’s Studies African-American Studies American Studies

Religion Performing Arts Visual Arts Art History Classics

We’re down to 4. So let’s go back

to the traits of critical thinking.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Decision Metrics

• Communicate across cultures and

time, in order to understand the

deep background of an issue, and

to overcome provincial prejudices.

• Evaluate and measure theories

and propositions; not just logically

but numerically, through an

understanding of data.

• Resist manipulation, create

consensus.

Grammar seems to cover this well.

The Art of Data (math & science) works

here. But so does Logic.

Rhetoric is made for this one.

Critical Thinking

Let’s take a closer look at Logic.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Decision Metrics

LogicThe study and use of reasoning; the disciplined pursuit of truth.

This seems like the most important art of all,

doesn’t it? It certainly is important to learn.

But logic is difficult to isolate from the

manipulative aspects of argument—from

emotions and issues of identity.

Aristotle

himself said

this.The man who invented logic

as we know it said that

emotions and identity tend to

be more persuasive in the

real world. He blamed this on

our “sorry human nature.”

So while it’s important to teach Logic, we

should set it in the context of real-world

persuasion. That means combining it with

Rhetoric.

Grammar

Logic

Rhetoric

Decision Metrics

Aristotle wrote his book, Rhetoric, late in life—

after he wrote Logic. Rhetoric was the

culmination of his thinking on human thought.

As tutor to young Alexander of Macedon, Aristotle shared

the leadership secrets of Rhetoric. Alexander not only

conquered peoples, he won hearts. His Hellenic Empire

formed the basis of Western civilization.

Here you probe deep into the human brain, both

individual and social.

RHETORIC

Critical thinking: resist manipulation, evaluate arguments, create consensus.

Rhetoric Philosophy Neuroscience Linguistics Speech

“Rhetoric is the art of

influence, friendship, and

eloquence, of ready wit and

irrefutable logic.

Rhetoric lies behind

political labeling,

advertising, jargon, voices,

gestures, and guilt trips; it

forms a real-life Matrix, the

supreme software that

drives our social lives.

And the study of rhetoric is

that software’s decoder.”

Jay HeinrichsThank You for Arguing

The R Factor.

RhetoricAbility to argue, evaluate the argument of others, and bring about consensus.

GrammarArt of absorbing and communicating messages across cultures and time.

Decision MetricsArt of gathering, interpreting, and making decisions from large sets of data.

New Trivium

Grammar

Rhetoric

Decision Metrics

The New Trivium does not

exclude the other subjects. But it

helps you make sure you get the

range of arts that lead you to your

most productive career.

New Trivium

What are the real risks of

Ebola? How can we

measure them?

Apply the New Trivium’s critical thinking to this problem, and you see that risks encompass Africa’s culture, the global economy, the political consequences of fear

+

Where in the world does

poetry make money?

Why?

Besides hip hop, I mean. Apply Grammar to the meaning of poetry. What exactly is poetry. Can a computer algorithm qualify? What does poetry do, exactly? Answer the question brilliantly and you’ll be amazingly employable.

+

Explain the Kardashians

and what might be done

about them.

The New Trivium applies critical thinking to issues that might be too readily dismissed, such as the Kardashians. How does the family qualify as “influencers”

+

Using data and your knowledge of

American culture, gather political

insights from Burning Man and the

Electric Daisy Carnival.

Woodstock ushered in a change in American politics. So do these giant annual festivals. Surprisingly, though, there’s little overlap between these desert audiences. Why? Find meaning in the Grammar, Metrics and Rhetoric, and you will make yourself valua

+Is Millennial generation

a useful generalization?

Generalizations, especially those based on birth dates, are both necessary and misleading. They require the best critical thi

+

Find a problem that affects many people’s

lives. Gather a dedicated team to solve it—

in a way that’s sustainable economically and

environmentally, and that personally makes

you money.

Finally, the liberal arts question that beats them all. Answer it, and you have answered the question, “How can I make the bi

The Good News

• You can get an excellent background in Grammar

at any good liberal arts college. Your major

matters little for future employment, unless you

intend to apply to graduate school.

• Decision metrics are readily available as well, so

long as the college offers a course in statistics.

• Rhetoric is the fastest-growing discipline in higher

education.

The Bad News

• Rhetoric is almost completely unavailable in the

Ivy League and the top 10 small colleges ranked

by US News & World Report. The New Trivium is

impossible unless you’re lucky enough to attend a

school like Lewis & Clark.

The R Factor

Rhetoric takes what you learned in college and

applies it in the world, arguing, proposing, gathering

people, building consensus.

It the first of all liberal arts, and the most revered

course among the ancients.

Of all the modern liberal arts, rhetoric offers the most

hope for the the future of liberal education. It is the

most important factor in critical thinking. And it ties

higher education to the marketplace and our

democracy.

What you should do

Simply studying mathematics or science is not

enough for decision metrics. Take a course in

statistics, and a year-long course in economics.

Make sure you understand the art of quantification.

1

What you should do

Take courses in rhetorical theory and practice. You

should graduate knowing how to speak and write

persuasively (your ability to speak will outweigh

your ability to write). In addition, take at least one

psychology course.

2

What you should do

If you are a science major, take as many history

courses as you can. Study cultures other than your

own. The more uncomfortable they make you, the

better.

3

What you should do

If you want a job out of college, apply for

internships. Employers say they are the

biggest factor in getting a first job.

4

What you should do

Plan to go to graduate school. But study in college for leadership.

Regardless of your profession, it’s likely that by mid-career you will

lead people, make proposals, build consensus. You will use data to

make decisions. And you will communicate across vast spaces to

people of different backgrounds. And here is where you need the

New Trivium

5

Want more on the R

Factor?• Educators: Go to ArgueLab.com and learn how to get a

sample copy of my book on argument.

• High school students: Take an AP literature course;

odds are pretty good that the course teaches Thank

You for Arguing.

• Word lovers: wordhero.com contains a list of figures of

speech and tropes, with explanations and examples.

• Critical thinkers: Tweet think about the New Trivium:

@jayheinrichs.

Jay Heinrichs “brings the art of persuasion to

the masters of manipulation,” according to

Bloomberg Businessweek. Clients have

included Southwest Airlines, Walmart, Ogilvy

UK, Mindshare, Harvard, Dartmouth, Kaiser

Permanente, the National Association of

Realtors, NASA, and the Pentagon.

He is the author of the bestselling Thank

You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln,

and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About

the Art of Persuasion. Now in its second

edition, the book has been published in six

languages and used in more than 3,000

college courses.

Jay has worked as a journalist, magazine

editor, and manager. He is a former editorial

director at Rodale and content VP of a major

dotcom. He lives in New Hampshire.

You can contact him at JayHeinrichs.com.