Statistics among the Liberal Arts
本文论证统计学应被视为一门文科，并探讨这一认识如何影响对学科的理解及初学者教学。
Abstract The liberal arts are usually understood to be general and flexible modes of reasoning. By this definition, statistics qualifies as a liberal art, and it is important to the health of the discipline that it be recognized as such. The “philosophical” tradition of the liberal arts that is now dominant has alternated with an “oratorical” tradition that also gives insight, as do ideas of “evolutionary psychology.” This paper considers how understanding statistics as a liberal art influences our appreciation of the discipline and especially our teaching of beginners.