What is Liberal Arts Madhu Prabakaran - Lecture

It explains the Liberal and Arts perspective of "Liberal Arts"

1. Liberal Arts: opening up minds and options Prof. Madhu Prabakaran

2. Liberal Arts is about… technology of self!

3. Liberty & Freedom Though the terms are used interchangeably, Liberty is the condition because of a public policy/ Social Contract Freedom is the internal resoluteness to be free Positive liberty is Liberty/ freedom is:to do/be the enabling factor Negative liberty/ freedom is ‘ from’: a constraint factor Negative Liberty is needed for social cohesion Positive liberty is essential for personal growth

4. Positive Freedom/ Liberty :

5. Negative Freedom /Liberty

6. Locke’s Idea of Liberty (17 th C)

7. Liberty according to Rousseau (18 th C)

8. John Stuart Mill’s idea of liberty (19 th C)

9. Tocqueville’s idea of liberty (19 th C) Equality Vs Liberty Equality demands soft despotism Freedom Vs Security Shepheard Governments will undermine freedom Liberty is at the cost of Equality or vice-versa true liberty was not just the absence of oppression but also the presence of conditions that allow individuals to flourish.

10. Is Liberty or Equality- Which is the primary Need? Poverty Struck people demand for Equality With gradual gain of affluence people demand Liberty!

11. Liberty to do/ be (desirable things/ actions) | free from (undesirable effects) Positive | Negative Exclusive | Inclusive Political | Social Rights | Responsibility Natural Liberty | Moral Liberty Complimentary to each other

12. Our balancing depends on where we are! We are inclined towards liberty, but constrained by inequality, safety, identity and pride, as we overcome them, we cherish liberty, till we have not, we will be looking for equality & safety

13. Shades of Liberty & Its Absence Shades of Liberty & Its Absence Inclusive Exclusive Positive Autonomy Atomy Negative Heteronomy Despotism

14. What is it to be liberal?

15. 8 Components of Positive & Negative of Liberty Freedom/ Liberty Freedom/ Liberty To have Inclusive opportunities From Exclusive constraints To have open choices Liberty To freely associate From closure of choices From Coercion To Have inclusive mindset From Desire for Exclusive favours

16. Should Liberty be compromised for Fairness? Justice? Altruism? Wellness? Culture? Religion? Identity?

17. Should Liberty be compromised for Security? Equality? Race? Caste? Gender?

18. Do we have liberty to

19. Should Collective Mediocrity crush

20. Goal of Negative liberty is To ward off indifference towards the others

21. The Goal of Positive Liberty is To achieve what is good for one by one’s own ways and means

22. Isaiah Berlin on Positive & Negative Liberty

23. Positive liberty, on the other hand, is the freedom "to" control one's own life and fulfill one's potential. It is concerned with the ability of individuals to take control over their own actions and realize their true self or autonomy. Positive liberty is often tied to the idea of self-mastery or self-determination and has been linked historically to the idea of collective decision-making or democracy. However, Berlin warns that this form of liberty can sometimes lead to authoritarianism if it is used to justify imposing a specific version of the "common good" on individuals, as it may justify coercion in the name of freedom.

24. Berlin's analysis presents a critique of positive liberty because of its potential to justify the domination of one group or ideology over others, leading to totalitarian regimes. He favored negative liberty as it more strongly protects individual autonomy from external domination, although he acknowledges the limitations of both forms

25. What is liberality? Excluding others or Being Inclusive? Contracted Ego or Expanded self? Dogmatically constrained or Being Free (CCC) ? Residing within habituated conventions or Breaking into Novelty?

26. What is “individual”? Phenotype: the set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment. Genotype : Genotypes can be represented by symbols, such as BB, Bb, or bb, or by the actual DNA sequence at a specific location, such as CC, CT, or TT Teleonomy (Goal Directed): goal- directedness that was both objective and scientifically important, the idea that the evolutionary process itself unfolds in accordance with a plan.

27. Individuals differ from taxonomic individuations: Taxonomy is the branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics. Taxonomic individuation is a pattern that adheres to the common. Intrinsic resistance: A definitive feature of autonomous individuals is their intrinsic resistance to division, partialization and classification Autonomous vs non autonomous (non autonomous is replacement of individuals)

28. Individual Vs Individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote realizing one's goals and desires, valuing independence and self-reliance, and advocating that the interests of the individual should gain precedence over the state or a social group. Individual: marked by a distinctness and a complexity within a unity that characterizes organized things, concepts, organic beings, and persons

29. Liberal Individual A liberal person is an individual is intrinsically different from the taxonomic individuation, open to others, flexible, ready to transform, while upholding to inclusivity and unconstrained by any rigid dogma or group pressure .

30. Being Open Right to Information (transparency) Right to privacy From utopia to heterotopia (plurality) Cross-cultural competency Hybridity Recognizing multiplicity of heritage Giving up claims of self-pride Promoting the “other” Open to change consensus

31. Inclusive Inclusive practices, environments Inclusive citizenship Rule of law Accommodating disabilities Appreciating difference Holonomy Capability Approach

32. Unconstrained Ensemble Reaching the potential Unrestrained communion Free flow Innovative Opensource No inhibition Unhesitant

33. Art, Design & Liberal Arts

34. Trivium

35. 12 th C illustration of Herrad von Landsberg

36. What Is Art? Skill in applying the principles of a special science An industrial pursuit or employment of a skilled nature; a craft, business, profession Re-inventing Nature Bringing in Novelty of Perception

37. What is Art? A Classical Perspective

38. The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art. And there are three categories of art; bad art, good art and great art.- Paul O'Neill

39. “Bad art will elicit no emotional response in the person that is exposed to it, i.e.; a song you hear in an elevator and it does nothing to you, a picture on a wall that gives you the same emotional response as if the wall had been blank, a movie that chews up time”. Good art will make you feel an emotion that you have felt before; you see a picture of a forest and you remember the last time you went fishing with your dad, you hear a song about love and you remember the last time you were in love.

40. “Great art will make you feel an emotion you have never felt before;” “seeing the pieta, the world famous sculpture by Michelangelo, can cause someone to feel the pain of losing a child even if they've never had one. “

41. “And when you're trying for these emotions the easiest one to trigger is anger. Anyone can do it. Go into the street, throw a rock at someone, you will make them angry. The emotions of love, empathy and laughter are much harder to trigger, but since they operate on a deeper level, they bring a much greater reward”.

42. Art Nietzsche is the pioneering thinker on Art

43. Art as a Life-Affirming Force :Nietzsche believed that art plays a crucial role in affirming life, helping individuals confront the chaos, suffering, and meaninglessness inherent in existence. He saw art as a way to transform the tragic aspects of life into something beautiful and bearable, allowing humans to affirm life rather than despair.

44. The Apollonian and Dionysian Duality In his early work "The Birth of Tragedy", Nietzsche introduced the idea of two competing artistic drives: the Apollonian and the Dionysian. The Apollonian represents order, reason, form, and beauty, while the Dionysian embodies chaos, instinct, ecstasy, and the irrational. Nietzsche believed great art, particularly ancient Greek tragedy, arose from the interplay of these two forces. He saw the Dionysian as crucial for experiencing the raw, primal energy of life, while the Apollonian offered structure and balance.

45. Art and Truth Nietzsche famously challenged traditional views of truth, arguing that humans cannot grasp objective truth but instead create subjective interpretations of the world. In this context, Nietzsche viewed art as a higher form of expression than science or philosophy because it does not claim to present objective truth but instead offers a creative and life-enhancing perspective on existence. For Nietzsche, art provides a more honest engagement with life by embracing illusion and creativity over rigid rationality.

46. Art and the Will to Power Nietzsche connected art to his concept of the "will to power," the fundamental drive in all living beings to assert and enhance their strength. He saw the creation of art as an expression of the will to power, where artists impose their vision onto the world, reshaping it according to their desires. Artistic creation is an act of self-overcoming and mastery, reflecting the artist's inner strength and vitality.

47. Art and the Übermensch (Overman):

48. Richard Buchanan’s Wicked Problem & Liberal Arts Wicked Problems Definition: Buchanan draws from Rittel and Webber's concept of "wicked problems," which are ill-defined, have no clear solution, and are often unique and interconnected with other problems. These problems resist traditional problem-solving methods because they cannot be definitively solved.

49. Liberal Arts offers a valuable approach to dealing with wicked problems- and links it to Design Thinking Liberal Art allows for iterative, flexible, and creative problem-solving processes, which are necessary when dealing with complex and evolving problems.

50. Interdisciplinary Nature: Liberal Arts & design thinking is not limited to a specific discipline but interacts across fields such as engineering, architecture, and social sciences. This interdisciplinary approach helps tackle wicked problems by integrating various perspectives.

51. Shifting Boundaries of Design/ Art: Liberal Arts is not confined to products or artifacts but can apply to systems, interactions, and services.

52. Human-Centered Design: the importance of focusing on human needs and values in art & design. Since wicked problems often involve social and cultural dimensions, human-centered design becomes a critical framework to address them effectively.

53. Innovative and Adaptive Strategies: Wicked problems require non-linear, innovative, and adaptive strategies. Liberal Arts perspective advocates for continuous experimentation, prototyping, and iteration as essential methods to handle these problems, as solutions often emerge from ongoing dialogue and reflection.

54. epimeleia heautou

55. Hupomnemata (2.24-2.45)

56. Discover Destinations! Source: ©https://our.tennessee.edu/ wp -content/uploads/2014/01/discover-invent-change-1-1536x1126.jpg Inventions are subsets of discoveries! This too shall pass

57. "What prevented us from being wiped out by Corona?" Source: https://www.bing.com/images/create/create-an-image-that-depicts-the-beauty-of-the-cor/9b9475a342ce4b25a6d7852ca981053a?id=di12jaQ9gFgi7WW5OxwRsQ%3d%3d&view=detailv2&idpp=genimg&thId=OIGP.J0_2GmON7vGVTnXowI3x&FORM=GCRIDP

58. "What disproved the Malthusian prediction of a population dystopia?" Source: ©https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/overpopulation-is-not-the-source-of-all-our-ills-60231

59. "What can overcome racism, gender discrimination, caste discrimination, and soon, geopolitics?" Source: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/569671f71c1210fe39f8b556/1602354646520-EW9UZXPEEV7X0I9VZ0HQ/iStock-489205086.jpg?format=1500w

60. Liberal Art as Active Dissent! Art: Devising artifacts to attain goal – Herbert Simon With technology we overturn ‘natural’ order!  Design is the science & art of the particular!

61. "What if history does not determine our future?"

62. "What if biology doesn't limit us?" Source: https://www.bioexplorer.net/file/1-Understanding-the-Fundamentals-of-Life.jpg.webp

63. "What if we are not reduced to individuals at all?" Source: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/269582727666845087/

64. "What if language does not limit our thoughts?" Source: https://dl.acm.org/cms/asset/327209be-6912-48cb-898d-9256e867af42/3478431.3499314 .key.jpg

65. Horst Rittel Buchanan

66. Source: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5e/0b/0f/5e0b0f63bce806db06c2d2e8fd235bb2--friedrich-nietzsche-superman.jpg Uberman is the direction of Art

67. Liberal Arts Curriculum

68. What is common about these men & women?

69. Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO

70. Michael Eisner, Former Walt Disney Company CEO

71. Richard Plepler, HBO CEO

72. Carly Fiorina, Former Hewlett-Packard CEO

73. John Mackey, Whole Foods Co-CEO

74. Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO

75. Steve Ells, Chipotle Co-CEO

76. Alexa Hirschfeld, Paperless Post Co-Founder

77. Jack Ma, Alibaba Chairman

78. Mitt Romney, Bain Capital CEO

79. Peter Thiel, co-founder and CEO of PayPal

80. Sam Palmisano is the former CEO of IBM

81. Ted Turner, CNN founder

82. Anne Mulcahy, former Xerox CEO

83. Richard Anderson, ex-CEO of Delta Air Lines

84. Brian Moynihan, Bank of America's CEO

85. A.G. Lafley, former Proctor and Gamble CEO

86. Judy McGrath, ex-MTV CEO

87. Ken Chenault, CEO at American Express, Director IBM

88. Andrea Jung, Former Avon CEO

89. They are all Liberal Arts Students!

90. Liberal Arts creates a complete person whose intellect and emotions are capable of processing and integrating technical and cultural inputs and looking at issues in a creative mode from multiple perspectives.

91. 2 Major transitions that happens for a rightly oriented Liberal Arts student