The Idea of a University. John Newman

The Idea of a University. John Newman

John Newman in his work, the Idea of a University started by making it clear that he has no intention, in anything he shall say, of bringing into the argument the authority of the church, or any authority at all, but shall consider the question simply on the grounds of human reason and human wisdom.

He wishes to bring our attention to these two points. first, whether it is consistent with the idea of a university teaching to exclude theology from a place among the sciences which it embraces; secondly, whether it is consistent with that idea to make the useful arts and sciences its direct and principal concern, to the neglect of those liberal studies and exercises of mind, in which it has heretofore been considered mainly to consist.

He argued that a university, by its very name professes to teach universal knowledge: theology is surely a branch of knowledge: how then is it possible for it to profess branches of knowledge, and yet to exclude theology. University teaching without theology is simply unphilosophical. Theology has at least as good a right to claim a place there as astronomy.

He further stated that, if the various branches of knowledge, which are the matter of teaching in a university, so hang together, that none can be neglected without prejudice to the perfection of the rest, and if theology be a branch of knowledge of wide reception, of philosophical structure, of unutterable importance, and of supreme influence, to what conclusion are we brought from these two premises but this? That to withdraw the theology from the public schools is to impair the completeness and to invalidate the trustworthiness of all that is actually taught in them.

In conclusion he said, that he has argued on its behalf, first, from the consideration that, whereas it is the very profession of a university to teach all sciences, on this account it cannot exclude theology without being untrue to its profession. Next, all sciences being connected together, and having bearings one on another, it is impossible to teach them all thoroughly, unless they all are taken into account and theology among them. Moreover, he insisted on the important influence, which theology in matter of fact does and must exercise over a great variety of sciences, completing and correcting them; so that, granting it to be a real science occupied upon truth, it cannot be omitted without great prejudice to the teaching of the rest. And lastly, he urged that, supposing theology be not taught, its province will not simply be neglected, but will be actually usurped by other sciences, which will teach, without warrant, conclusions of their own in a subject-matter which needs its own proper principles for its due formation and disposition.