The document discusses whether data science can be considered a liberal art. It argues that yes, data science is a liberal art because all science is part of a liberal arts education. Data science applies scientific methods to analyze data, making it just another science. Liberal arts teach problem framing and considering issues from multiple perspectives, skills that are important for data science as well.

1. Is Data Science a Liberal Art?
George J. Mount

3. Is data science a
liberal art?

4. Yes…in the sense
that all science is a
liberal art

5. Data Science

6. Everyone who
does this is a
scientist.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method

7. Science IS part of a
liberal arts education.

8. Data science… just another science?

9. Liberal arts as problem framing

10. Liberal arts as a multi-
angle attack

11. “Data databases are not really “Big,”
they are less like robust cross-trained
athletes and more like gawky nerds
who have one splinter skill and are
mostly ineffective at everything else.
They are too narrow to create the
juxtaposition that leads to
breakthroughs.”
--Martin Lindstrom, Small Data: The
Tiny Clues that Uncover Huge Trends

12. Resources
• George J. Mount, “Is Data Science a Liberal Art?”
• Adam Weinberg, “Data Analytics and the Liberal Arts”
• Andrew S. Yang, “Science as a Matter of (Liberal) Art”
• Martin Lindstrom, Small Data: The Tiny Clues that Uncover Huge Trends

13. Where to find me
• georgejmount.com
• Twitter: @gjmount
• Instagram: @gjmount
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gjmount