The rhetorical and philosophical conceptions of liberal education continue to stand in tension as they have since antiquity. The tension arises from the inherent difficulty of reconciling reason and language, the two poles of the Greek concept "logos". (MSE)

In a long-standing debate, those who argue that "useful" studies are liberal have often appealed to Franklin, while those who oppose this have usually appealed to Aristotle. Both of these historical appeals are flawed, however, a fact revealing deeper misunderstanding in the contemporary debate. (Author/MSE)

This book provides a study of the historical evolution of the idea of liberal education. The volume portrays this evolution as a struggle between two contending points of view--one oratorical and the other philosophical--that have interacted, often controversially, from antiquity to present. The study attempts to shed light on the meaning of the…

Identifies common points in recent research reports on undergraduate liberal arts education and relates them to traditions in the history of education. Concludes that the recommendations of these reports contain important and basic contradictions. (FMW)

Twentieth century historical treatments of liberal education, often conflicting and confused, are examined and the relationship of this confusion to previous historical interpretations is discussed. It is concluded that liberal education is neglected as a topic of historical research. (MSE)