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Amanda Preusse
Dr. Javier Cardoza-Kon
UNST 1071
11 October 2015
Place of Education
The concept of the derive involves playful-constructive behavior and awareness of
psychogeographical effects (Debord, Theory of the Derive). To go on a derive means going to
a place that one is not familiar with and truly taking in the area, psychogeographically, or
playfully drifting around while observing and creating a personal map of the land. A derive can
be very freeing, as my personal one was. In William Cronons essay, Only Connect The
Goals of a Liberal Education, he discusses the freeing aspect of having a liberal education and
what it means to be liberally educated. There are several traits of Cronons vision of what it
means to be liberally educated that directly lend to Guy Debords concept of a derive. Both
essays include ideas of connection to ones surroundings or to other people, freedom in the sense
of mind or of opportunities, and knowledge of ones surroundings and the importance that
knowledge plays in being a well-rounded individual.
According to Debord, a derive can last for a period of time that is as short as a few hours
or as long as several days. The important part is that it never stops moving; to be on a derive
means constant motion, while taking in the surrounding area. A person embarking on a derive
may choose to go where they want with no real route planned before hand. They may walk
wherever the land takes them. This can lead to a variety of different experiences. But the derive
includes both this letting-go and its necessary contradiction: the domination of
psychogeographical variations by the knowledge and calculation of their possibilities (Debord).

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It is critical in a derive to have that freedom and sense of letting-go, but to also keep surveying
the land and surroundings and to have focus on that. Having knowledge of ones surroundings is
not only important to the derive, but to liberal education as well. The knowledge of surroundings
is critical to being a well-rounded person and understanding a variety of landscapes. Cronon
speaks of the levels of understanding a liberally educated person has, and how they can identify
with things in any type of environment.
On my personal derive I went to St. Johns. The atmosphere of St. Johns was warm and
welcoming. The scenery surrounding the area was beautiful as well, with all of the greenery and
trees, and the gorgeous St. Johns bridge. I felt a sense of freedom when I was there. I was able to
go where I chose, think my own thoughts, and evaluate the land with no expectations or prior
opinion of it. It was as though I was taking everything in in a conscious manner, but with no
stress. There were also dissenting aspects to my derive. I was exposed to some negative parts of
the town, such as homelessness and domestic abuse. However, both the negative and the positive
can be used as learning experiences in my derive, as well as in my liberal education. It is
important to be well-rounded with a liberal education, so seeing the negative parts of town was
not a bad thing for me. Rather, it caused me to be more open and aware of what was happening
around me, and got me thinking about ways to handle things, such as homelessness, in my own
community.
As for Cronons essay on liberal education, the main point revolves around the phrase
from E.M. Forester: Only Connect. This phrase relates to what we do with the education we
are given. One individual can make a difference in the world with their talents, but only if they
join a community and find how their skills mash with others skills. According to Cronons
piece, there are ten main qualities that embody the values of a liberal education. These ten traits

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describe what it means to be liberally educated, but can also be applied to more general
situations and to people who are not liberally educated. Some of these traits can even be related
to Debords piece and the concept of the derive.
For instance, the second attribute of Cronons list is about reading and understanding.
This can be applied to the derive in the way that one must read the area they are exploring before
they are able to understand the place. This relates back to having a knowledge of ones
surroundings for personal growth on the derive and to being a well-rounded, liberally educated
person. Just as the derive piece speaks of the level of awareness one must have, the liberal
education piece speaks about awareness and a broad mind, which is critical for connection and
understanding of people and places.
Perhaps the biggest connection between the two essays is in relation to liberal education
and human freedom. Receiving a liberal education can be essentially freeing for someone, such
as it was many years ago when a person was not considered a free man until they received a
liberal education (Cronon). Nowadays, liberal education can be freeing in the sense of
opportunity; there are greater options for career paths and opportunities when a person receives
an education. Having a liberal education can set a person free to do what they want with their
future and gives them many opportunities they may otherwise not have. This concept of freedom,
or having the personal choice or opiton of what to do, can also be felt going on a derive.
Someone on a derive has the freedom to go wherever they like; they are not on a set path. The
options are endless, as no derive has a set path. Also, no one is ever alone on a derive. Even if
one starts the derive alone, there will be someone waiting for them or someone they meet up with
according to Debord, who recommends groups of two to three. This relates to trait nine in

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Cronons essay which discusses one of his main ideas, not acting alone. Ones skills can only be
put towards purpose if they find others with the same ideas and interests.
Overall, while the two essays may seem vastly different to begin with, since they are
about seemingly unrelated topics, Cronons piece on liberal education and Debords piece on the
derive have many similarities. They both include concepts of freedom, knowledge, and
connection with other people and the world around them. There is the freedom from your set
path and the exploration of a place and its inhabitants which opens a broader variety of
opportunities. There is the knowledge of a place, not only making you better educated, but able
to see more than just the surface. There is connection to a place by either being part of a
community, or finding a group of people to journey and spread ideas with. As emphasized in
both essays, the impact of many exceeds that of an individual.

Works Cited
Debord, Guy. Theory of the Derive. Situationist International Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct.
2015. <http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/theory.html>.

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Cronon, William. Only Connect The Goals of a Liberal Education. The American Scholar.
Volume 67, No. 4. Autumn 1998. Print.