The article explores the origin and development of the idea of liberal education in the West, and analyzes the major problems of general education in Taiwan. I regard liberal education as the antecedent of general education, tracing its development through the ancient Greek, Roman liberal studies, medieval seven arts, renaissance humanistic studies, to modern general education. I think the major problems of general education include pragmatism, professionalism, superficiality, and the attempt to make it entertaining. To copy with these problems, we have to recover the spirit of classical liberal education, and make some necessary adjustments to fit in with the age of mass education and informational explosion.