What's liberal about the liberal arts?

the long version

"In this book, Allan Bloom's not only offers a definitive rebuttal of conservative activists' most incendiary claims about American universities but also provides a glimpse into his own classroom. Along the way, he tackles the three-headed hydra of "race, class, and gender" and the catch-all bogeyman of postmodernism, offering an entertaining and thought-provoking tour of these concepts that demonstrates their undeniable importance in American intellectual life. The portraits he paints of students wrestling with literature, with one another, and with their demanding teacher reveal a complex and compelling reality that speaks volumes about the continued relevance and vitality of liberal education in America."--Jacket.