Introduction

This book explores the relationship between metaphysics and the liberal arts. Part I contrasts the dualistic metaphysics of Platonism, Cartesianism, and materialisms, with the process metaphysics of William James, John Dewey, C.S. Peirce, and A.N. Whitehead, with an eye toward illustrating how education should be treated as a transactive and interactive process whose objects of knowledge evolve through time.

Part II

In Part II, the authors go on to investigate conceptions of the value of a liberal arts education, considering reactionary, conservative, pragmatist, and radical approaches.

Part III

Finally, in Part III, the authors explore connections between metaphysics and conservative, radical, and pragmatist conceptions of art, and demonstrate how process metaphysics can be extended to highlight the role of aesthetic experience both in understanding and appreciating art and in liberal arts education.

A timely and unique exploration of the relationship between metaphysics and the liberal arts, this book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and faculty with interests in several branches of philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of education, and aesthetics.