What's so liberal about 'liberal arts'?

Answer 1

Unlike fine arts: painting, sculpture, illustration, photography etc.. Liberal arts defines a category of study outside of the fine arts which uses the word art in the most liberal of terms. Fact is that liberal arts is not exactly a hard science, and not exactly an art hence it is a liberal art though I would like to have the name changed to liberal science or like the spork(spoon+fork) perhaps liberal scarts and for the sake of irony I would like the word fine arts changed to conservative arts being that so many artists are of the conservative nature.

Answer 2

Liberal arts are studies that are intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills rather than more specialised occupational or professional skills.The term liberal in liberal arts is from the Latin word liberalis, meaning "appropriate for free men" (social and political elites]and they were contrasted with the servile arts. The liberal arts thus initially represented the kinds of skills and general knowledge needed by the elite echelon of society, whereas the servile arts represented specialized tradesman skills and knowledge needed by persons who were employed by the elite.

Answer 3

It is open-minded