South American Research Journal, 4(1), 13-20
https://www.sa-rj.net/index.php/sarj/article/view/52
Do the liberal arts make better scientific
researchers?
RESUMEN
El presente trabajo de revisión narrativa se centra en
estudiar la relación entre las artes liberales y la investigación
científica. Las artes liberales son disciplinas centradas en el
formar habilidades y conocimientos que permiten a los
individuos pensar de forma lógica, comunicarse de manera
efectiva y mantener un pensamiento crítico de su entorno. A
lo lago de la historia las artes liberales han demostrado ser
diciplinas eficientes para la formación del conocimiento,
pero ¿Cómo influye el desarrollo de las artes liberales en el
desarrollo de investigadores científicos y en la difusión de
información de este carácter? Se tuvieron en cuenta los
aportes teóricos de estudios sobre las variables de
investigación para la planificación de una investigación con
metodología de enfoque cualitativo, mediante un tipo de
investigación descriptiva, mediante la técnica de la revisión
bibliográfica. Se parte de una perspectiva de las artes
liberales centradas en las interpretaciones de la edad media,
donde estas eran consideradas en relatos mitológicos que
personificaban a cada una de estas artes como ayudantes
divinos con la función de desarrollar el conocimiento del
hombre. De igual manera, se presenta las características que
se centran en la formación de un investigador científico para
contrastar las variables. Entre los resultados más relevantes
se establece que las artes liberales y la investigación
científica, pese a parecer sistemas discordantes, son dos
disciplinas que se complementan de manera adecuada en la
búsqueda y desarrollo del conocimiento como del desarrollo
humano. Las artes liberales influyen de manera positiva en
la formación de investigadores académicos y en el avance
de la investigación científica.
Las artes liberales, ¿forman mejores
investigadores científicos?
,
y César Mauricio
Martínez-Verdesoto4
1
Instituto Superior Tecnológico San Antonio;
Universidad Amawtay Wasi;
Profesional independiente;
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.
2
3
4
Correspondence: omartinez@itsa.edu.ec
Received: April 5, 2024 - Accepted: June 14, 2024 - Published: July 25,
024.
2
ABSTRACT
This narrative review paper focuses on the relationship
between the liberal arts and scientific inquiry. The liberal
arts are disciplines focused on forming skills and knowledge
that allow individuals to think logically, communicate
effectively and maintain critical thinking of their
environment. Throughout history, the liberal arts have
proven to be efficient disciplines for the formation of
knowledge, but how does the development of the liberal arts
influence the development of scientific researchers and the
dissemination of scientific information? The theoretical
contributions of studies on research variables were
considered for the planning of a research with a qualitative
approach methodology, by means of a descriptive type of
research, using the technique of bibliographic review. It is
based on a perspective of the liberal arts centered on the
interpretations of the Middle Ages, where these were
considered in mythological stories that personified each of
these arts as divine helpers with the function of developing
man's knowledge. Likewise, the characteristics that focus on
the formation of a scientific researcher to contrast the
variables are presented. Among the most relevant results, it
is established that the liberal arts and scientific research,
despite appearing to be discordant systems, are two
disciplines that complement each other adequately in the
search for and development of knowledge and human
development. The liberal arts positively influence the
formation of academic researchers and the advancement of
scientific research.
Palabras clave: Artes liberales, divulgación científica,
estudio literario, investigador científico, filología.
INTRODUCTION
The liberal arts and scientific research are two
seemingly distinct disciplines but complement each other
perfectly in the pursuit of knowledge and human
development. The liberal arts are characterized by their
humanistic and multidisciplinary focus, aiming to develop
in individuals’ skills such as creativity, critical analysis,
and effective communication. These disciplines include
areas such as philosophy, literature, history, social
sciences, and the arts, among others.
The work The Universe of the Weddings of Mercury
and Philology, written by Martianus Capella in the mid-
fifth century AD, uses a narrative style combining satire to
draw the reader's attention and inform them about
scientific knowledge. In this text, Mercury gifts Philology
the trivium and quadrivium—seven books that systematize
classical knowledge, possibly serving as an encyclopedic
manual of the liberal arts. The following section studies
these books through a semiotic system called tarot, given
the significant similarity between the maidens and the
court characters and major arcana according to the
Marseille edition. Their symbols closely resemble those of
the century in which Martianus Capella wrote, showing
Keywords: Liberal arts, scientific popularization,
literary study, scientific researcher, philology.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12212121
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