Summary of Rose Horowitch’s Article in The Atlantic (Nov. 19, 2025)
by Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic Magazine
Rose Horowitch describes a nationwide educational crisis that has left incoming college students dramatically underprepared in mathematics and logical reasoning. At UC San Diego, the number of freshmen lacking even middle-school math skills has exploded, mirroring trends across the University of California system and at institutions such as George Mason University. Students struggle not only with fractions and algebra but with the basic habits of logical thought.
Horowitch traces the decline to three converging forces: years of lowered standards, the pandemic’s deep academic disruptions, and the widespread belief that technology—especially AI—can replace foundational skill building. The removal of standardized-test scores has further obscured students’ readiness, leaving universities with little insight into who needs help.
The article argues that America has quietly undone decades of progress and now faces the economic and civic consequences of widespread innumeracy. Experts warn that no society can function well if its citizens cannot reason independently.
Importantly, Horowitch’s argument echoes the central claim of A Republic at Risk
: a free nation cannot survive without citizens capable of disciplined thinking. Both works reach the same conclusion—our Republic’s future depends on restoring the intellectual foundations that self-government requires.