Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:37:17 -0600 Subject: Liberal Arts/Politcal Liberalism From: Kate Hale <halecl@uwec.edu> Message-ID: <BDD4D91D.E94%halecl@uwec.edu>
One instructive exercise: look up ³liberal² in the Oxford English Dictionar
y
and note how both positive & negative connotations are woven into the
differing definitions.
I want to clarify that I am not thinking the UWS group should back off from
the word ³liberal² in either phrase (l. arts, l. education). My point is
simply that those we hope to reach already have, for the most part, a
conception of the word. In speaking about the role of the liberal arts, or
of a liberal education, we will need to be alert to how those to whom we
speak ³hear² the word.
Some in the UWS group want to avoid ³liberal arts,² hearing it as a
discipline-based term. I understand that, but I also think it is less
likely than ³liberal education² to rile up the citizenry. Not that they
oughtn¹t be riled up from time-to-time.
My own experience was that a liberal arts education did liberalize both my
theology and my politics. Maybe that speaks to Dan¹s point in his earlier
post . . . . What do others think? Is that kind of liberalization a natura
l
outgrowth of studying the liberal arts? I should add that I took my B.A.
from a small, private church-support LA college‹which was decidedly not
politically or theologically liberal. So it was not that my professors had
a ³liberal agenda²--I would argue that it was something inherent in the
studies themselves.
I¹d love to hear more if people are interested in continuing this, or we ca
n
take it to private email if others would prefer. It is a busy time of the
semester.
Thanks--
Kate Hale
English