Liberal political theory has come under increased criticism in recent years for its supposed inability to sufficiently 'accommodate' or 'recognise' cultural difference. Liberalism, it is said, is insufficiently attentive to the importance of group attachments, is rooted in a universalism which undermines the boundaries between cultures and is, therefore, unable to adequately resolve those political conflicts which arise out of the cultural, religious and ethnic diversity found in contemporary Western societies. The thesis examines these claims and argues that liberalism is more resistant to criticism than many non-liberals (and liberals) believe. The thesis argues that liberalism is a necessarily 'comprehensive' doctrine, committed to the principle of individual autonomy and that this places constraints upon what groups can and cannot be allowed to do in the name of cultural values. It therefore challenges those 'political liberals' who seek to isolate individual autonomy as valuable only in the political sphere, and those other liberals who argue that liberalism should not commit itself to autonomy at all. The thesis argues that these liberals fail to displace the importance of autonomy in liberalism, and that they cannot help but appeal to precisely this principle in order to reach the conclusions they do. The thesis extends this argument to those pluralists, difference-theorists and advocates of a politics of 'recognition', who seek to replace liberalism with a new form of politics altogether. It shows that these doctrines presuppose the ability of each and every individual to reflect upon their ends and to justify them to within particular constraints in the same way as liberalism. It argues therefore, that these antiliberal theorists are required to encourage and defend the autonomy of each and every individual within the polity in much the same way as liberals. Finally, the thesis questions the significance of 'culture' to liberal political theory and to normative theorising more generally. Most specifically, it questions the link between cultural membership and personal autonomy made by liberals like Will Kymlicka and Joseph Raz. It argues that 'culture' is insufficiently determined in the literature and that this severely weakens the argument for the 'affirmation' or 'protection' of cultural groups. The thesis argues that once we begin to examine the idea of 'culture' (as it is used in the literature) in detail, we soon realise that cultural membership is not a prerequisite of individual autonomy in the way that culturalist liberals believe. Having argued as much, the thesis claims that the liberal argument for affording 'group rights' to cultures is severely weakened, as are similar arguments advanced by advocates of a politics of difference, recognition, cultural recognition, or pluralism.

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The liberal arts curriculum is the product of the intellectual, political, and social climate of its age. The "traditional" curriculum of the mid-nineteenth century derived from Victorian religious attitudes and beliefs about character development. As the century progressed and state power gradually displaced clerical power in the universities, the ideal of a balanced, unified arts program in which all students learned to place their knowledge in a Christian context gave way to a variety of specialized programs and an emphasis on job-training rather than than character development. The scientific method became an accepted mode of inquiry, and arts disciplines multiplied as new methodologies (such as those used in the social sciences) were created and as society discovered a need for new kinds of expertise. From the late nineteenth century onwards, there were a number of competing theories regarding the nature of the university and the proper content and structure of the arts course. The sciences and social sciences benefited from the utilitarian emphasis in some respects, but professors in the humanities felt their prestige diminishing. Many of them embraced a theory about the importance of culture which was based on the teachings of Matthew Arnold, and they also took the lead in campaigns to reintroduce the kind of order and certainty which the traditional arts course had possessed by attempting to create a "common learning" or "core" of general education. This thesis analyzes the development of the arts curriculum over a period of one hundred and fifty years, and examines the reasons why the quest for unifying principles in liberal education remained unfulfilled in the secular university of the twentieth century.

In relation to the rest of the world, the track and field industry within the United States lacks interest from the public. The market makes a name for itself during the short period of time the sport is televised in the Olympic Games. This is a problem for the elite athletes who are considered professional but have little to show for this title. The current marketing strategies and distribution of wealth within the industry are ineffective and detrimental to the future success of the sport. We must point the finger at the governing powers and demand a change. I believe that this change comes in the form of innovation. We must find ways to innovate the sport in order to attract the attention of the public on a regular basis, which will result in added revenue and market growth. To do this, we have to cater the marketing efforts towards the experiences had by both athletes and fans of the sport. In my thesis, I address this issue knowing very well that innovation is key beforehand. The paper is outlined similar to what a marketing plan would look like in the business world. I begin with providing an understanding of innovation and how the process works. From there, I incorporate six important aspects to innovation that are required for success. With these tools on hand, I then produce a framework for identifying the need for innovation. This framework encompasses the problem, the industry, research efforts, creativity and risk measures, and finally the concluding remarks and recommendations from the information gathered. By combing data that shows financial instability, insight from elite athletes and the frustration from current fans of the sport, my study proves that innovation is a necessity. With that, I propose three recommendations based on level of effort and difficulty. The best-case scenario for innovation efforts involves the creation of a new competition stadium, the employment of enthusiastic and knowledgeable commentators, better standards for television coverage, and more organized funding for promotional aspects of the sport.

This thesis examines how reason and freedom have been expressed in Islam through a study of the Mu'tazilite movement in 8th century Persia, the Indonesian Islamic scholar and educator Harun Nasution and the Liberal Islam Network formed in Indonesia in 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1926. / Vita. Published also without thesis note. Bibliography: p. 283-288.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1926. / Vita. Published also without thesis note. Bibliography: p. 283-288.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

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