'Liberal Arts' bachelor degrees

Post Reply New Topic

I wonder who first thought up this phrase?

If you think that the answer is 'something else' share your thoughts with a response.

Enjoy

ps. NO offence is intended against and none should be construed by WP members who DO have (or are currently studying for) a Liberal Arts degree

I have just always been amused and somewhat confused by the term Liberal Arts, in relation to bachelor degrees.

H.

Last edited by Blindspot149 on 08 Mar 2010, 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

LOL, I don't even know what "Liberal Arts" refers to.



(college wasn't an option for me, up until 3 years ago)



*will Google it later, when he has a few minutes to spare*

*returns from Wikipedia*

Hmm.....from the sounds of it, "Liberal Arts", would be fairly synonymous with "a few more years of High School". Well, that's what Wiki sounded like. Crap, i forgot the question. Oh well, I don't know what I'm talking about anyway, so maybe it's better if i just keep my mouth shut.


*retreats back to being a spectator*

Becoming educated to become not very good at anything.

Good heavens, so that's what "liberal arts" means, and that's what a "liberal arts college" is - and more interesting, I see the word "trivial" derives from a reference to the first three of the liberal arts - the "Trivium."

It never occurred to me that "liberal arts college" referred to a specific thing, and didn't just mean "place that is generally liberal in outlook and concentrates on art".

The "seven liberal arts" (grammar, dialectic, rhetoric, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music) were the basis for a classical education in late antiquity and the Middle Ages. The word "liberal" in that phrase has nothing to do with its modern usage to signify the political left.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_arts

Thanks for that very interesting historical perspective on this.

The current usage of the word 'liberal' has nothing whatsoever to do with its usage (free thinker) spanning the enlightenment and industrial revolution periods either.

Libertarian has its root in liberus (latin)/liberty (English)

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were Libertarians.

It is also Libertarians like Mises and the Austrian School of Economics who advanced concepts of sound commodity based 'money' rather than fiat currency and gave stern warnings about the dangers inherent in the currency printing presses; but sound money is probably best left for another thread.

Last edited by Blindspot149 on 08 Mar 2010, 9:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Which is kind odd, since the elements related to mathematics don't seem to be associated with liberal arts any longer. Though, come to think of it, I believe my university awarded both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. As best I recall the only difference in the two programs was that those pursuing a BA were required to take two semesters of a foreign language and those in the BS program were not, but I can't imagine that was the only difference.



Funny how words morph like that. Heck, even in the political and (especially) economic sphere once upon a time "liberal" meant supporting a smaller government, lower taxes, etc. The clumsy phrase I've seen kicked around, "classical liberal" to describe people like Adam Smith or J.S. Mill strikes me as even more confusing, personally.

My university is thinking of introducing a "Liberal Arts" bachelor degree. Essentially, instead of getting an Honorary Bachelor's Degree, if your marks are not up to par, you'll get a Liberal Arts degree. I think the term Liberal Arts dates back to the nineteenth century, but I'm not sure why its referred to as "Liberal".

WorldsEdge, I think a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics is going a more academic route with it, such as being a professor.