The Idea of the University

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The crisis in university education has sparked vigorous debate recently. In this eloquent and personal book, a distinguished scholar reflects on the university's character and aims, assessing its guiding principles, practical functions, and societal role. By reexamining the university through the lens of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s classic work, the author highlights how Newman’s ideas illuminate and contrast with current challenges in higher education. The author affirms Newman’s assertion that knowledge must be an end in itself and argues for the inseparability of research and teaching on both intellectual and practical grounds. He emphasizes the virtues of free inquiry, scholarly honesty, civility in discourse, toleration of diverse beliefs, and trust in rationality and public verifiability that universities must uphold and teach. The discussion includes the university's mission: advancing knowledge through research, interpreting it through teaching, preserving it in libraries and museums, and disseminating it through scholarly publishing. By fulfilling these roles, fostering closer ties with other educational institutions, and engaging the community in lifelong learning, the university can make its most significant contribution to society.