A Subtle Tyranny: Rediscovering the Purpose of the Liberal Arts

Discord in the academy currently manifests in divisions over political correctness, the content of the canon and the defects of modernity. As scholarly and intellectual matters these concerns arise exclusively from the domain of the liberal arts. At their core, these controversies arguably develop from deep epistemic roots reflecting fundamental differences concerning the nature, purpose and value of the liberal arts. At issue is the integrity of the liberal arts and understanding the nature, purpose and value of these fields depends upon appreciating the distinction between professional, theoretical, and moral studies. One can begin to understand these distinctions by considering the contrast in ordinary language between knowledge and wisdom. For it is arguable that while the notion of wisdom is presumably irrelevant to production or dissemination of knowledge in all other disciplines, it is demonstrably central to the purpose and value of both research and teaching in each and every liberal art. If this can be shown then it is possible to understand why emphasis on expertise and professionalism, on knowledge for its own sake undermines commitment to common purposes and concerns. By institutionalizing new patterns of behavior, stress on professionalism changes the nature and conception of liberal arts scholarship in ways that produce deep confusions about meaning and value in these fields. The object of this article is to show that unlike other disciplines the liberal arts depend upon shared purposes and concerns such that participation of in a common moral discourse is essential to the integrity and worth of each field.     

Mirrors and merry-go-rounds

This is an elementary introduction to rotations in three dimensions, using reflections to naturally introduce spinors. It provides a stepping stone to higher mathematics and some new perspectives.     

Broadcast rights: A bibliography

The literature on public, educational, and government (PEG) access channels has focused on production rather than audience analysis, which hinders our understanding whether such channels remain relevant forums for public expression and a source of community information in an increasingly digitized and converging media landscape. To address this gap, this study draws on random sampled survey data in Austin, Texas to analyze the audience of PEG access channels. Findings suggest that public access television remains relevant for underprivileged populations, especially racial minorities and less educated people. Online media do not reduce the importance of cablecasting public access content to local residents. Compared to non-viewers, viewers of public access channels have significantly higher social capital. This research has practical implications because many PEG channels across America have been cut back or shut down due to budget cuts.