The author of the excerpt that you read about liberal learning talks about "general education as education of free citizens." why is this kind of education called "liberal learning"?

The idea is that free citizen in a democracy need to be able to read, think, analyse, and evalution information and also candidates for election.

In that way, they can make wise decisions and avoid becoming a dictatorship (an authoritarian government). Liberal education is crucial if a society is to avoid tyranny (rule by a very few people)

Until we the ability to freely obtain knowledge and form our opinion, then we can truly feel that we as a citizens had the full liberty to pursue whatever things that interest us and replace the government who wanted us to behave otherwise