liberal是什么意思？

The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn't an either/or proposition(命题),although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM（science, technology, engineering, maths）-related fields can make it seem that way.

The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students' spiritual life

Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever.

Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college

Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty securing a job.

What does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on

Within just the past five years, I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, anything goes mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.

Since 2003 the small, elite liberal arts school in Brunswick, Maine, has boosted the proportion of so-called under-represented minority students in entering freshman classes from 8% to 13%.

The prestige of its liberal arts programs

A new study from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University shows that today's youth vote in larger numbers than previous generations, and a 2008 study from the Center for American Progress adds that increasing numbers of young voters and activists support traditionally liberal causes.

The young generation supports traditionally liberal causes

within just the past five years, I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, "anything goes" mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.