The Idea of a University Defined and Illustrated: In Nine Discourses Delivered to the Catholics of DublinNewman, John Henry
Religion
The Idea of a University Defined and Illustrated: In Nine Discourses Delivered to the Catholics of Dublin
Newman, John Henry
Education, Higher; Universities and colleges
I have spoken of the arduousness of my “immediate” undertaking, because
what I have been attempting has been of a preliminary nature, not
contemplating the duties of the Church towards a University, nor the
characteristics of a University which is Catholic, but inquiring what a
University is, what is its aim, what its nature, what its bearings. I have
accordingly laid down first, that all branches of knowledge are, at least
implicitly, the subject-matter of its teaching; that these branches are
not isolated and independent one of another, but form together a whole or
system; that they run into each other, and complete each other, and that,
in proportion to our view of them as a whole, is the exactness and
trustworthiness of the knowledge which they separately convey; that the
process of imparting knowledge to the intellect in this philosophical way
is its true culture; that such culture is a good in itself; that the
knowledge which is both its instrument and result is called Liberal
Knowledge; that such culture, together with the knowledge which effects
it, may fitly be sought for its own sake; that it is, however, in
addition, of great secular utility, as constituting the best and highest
formation of the intellect for social and political life; and lastly,
that, considered in a religious aspect, it concurs with Christianity a
certain way, and then diverges from it; and consequently proves in the
event, sometimes its serviceable ally, sometimes, from its very
resemblance to it, an insidious and dangerous foe.
Though, however, these Discourses have only professed to be preliminary,
being directed to the investigation of the object and nature of the
Education which a University professes to impart, at the same time I do
not like to conclude without making some remarks upon the duties of the
Church towards it, or rather on the ground of those duties. If the
Catholic Faith is true, a University cannot exist externally to the
Catholic pale, for it cannot teach Universal Knowledge if it does not
teach Catholic theology. This is certain; but still, though it had ever so
many theological Chairs, that would not suffice to make it a Catholic
University; for theology would be included in its teaching only as a
branch of knowledge, only as one out of many constituent portions, however
important a one, of what I have called Philosophy. Hence a direct and
active jurisdiction of the Church over it and in it is necessary, lest it
should become the rival of the Church with the community at large in those
theological matters which to the Church are exclusively committed,—acting
as the representative of the intellect, as the Church is the
representative of the religious principle. The illustration of this
proposition shall be the subject of my concluding Discourse.
2.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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