It was chosen to emphasize the fact that education was not available for the many people who were enslaved, but only for those who were free. The reference to liberty was included in the term because people who were educated started out free, and became more free as their education progressed. The Greeks and Romans recognized that education arms a person to confront the influence of others critically. Such a person is less easily manipulated and deceived. Still today, in order to form a more perfect union, we need citizens who are informed, discerning, and morally courageous.
Education forms the basis of every democratic society.
In The Republic , the Greek philosopher Plato explained how a well-rounded education should include the study of astronomy, mathematics, music and poetry. Plato taught his students to appreciate logic and order, ideals and beauty. Later teachers included the study of the growing fields of science and the burgeoning wealth of literature. They broadened the study of societies, governments, and history. But the main purpose of traditional liberal education stayed the same.