It is deeply consequential, even emblematic, that one of the greatest American defenders of the Western idea of liberal education was a former slave. The author of three (or four, depending on how one counts) autobiographies, Frederick Douglass explored not only the profound questions of self-hood and identity, but also the role of one’s public persona in a self-governing republic. In every way imaginable, his inquiry and advice offer a sharp contrast to contemporary conceptions of race, identity, human nature, and the role of education. Douglass points us to our deepest selves, to our shared humanity, and to the essential role of education in the fulfillment of our highest ideals.
