A PAGE SUMMARY OF DISCOURSES 1-4 IN NEWMAN’S THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY

A PAGE SUMMARY OF DISCOURSES 1-4 IN NEWMAN’S THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY

In Newman’s The Idea of a University, he addressed the purpose and goal of a university. As a prefatory statement, he argues that as the name implies, a university aims at teaching universal knowledge. This universal knowledge is neither moral nor religious, but pedagogical and intellectual. More startling, is his claim that true university is the relegation of discovery in favour of teaching and the extension of knowledge.

Quite characteristically, his arguments of the idea of a university are hinged neither on the Church’s authority nor any other, but ‘on the grounds of human reason and human wisdom’. This is not, of course, to say that religion and authority are antithetical to university education.  But it is only worthwhile to assign things to their proper domain; echoing Thomas Aquinas, Newman would have said that it would be superfluous to adjudge by faith and revelation principles that are attainable ‘by the mere experience of life’

In the second discourse, Newman reiterates that a university should teach universal knowledge, that is, ‘all branches of knowledge’. How is this possible to teach all branches of knowledge? His point is not that a university should never be found deficient in one branch of knowledge or another, but that all branch of knowledge be presupposed and none excluded on the ground of another. Simply put, no ideological concept of human knowledge must be omitted; intuitions must not exclude ethics, nor history divorce testimony. Newman adds that theology is also a branch of knowledge which has a right of place in university curriculum as does Newtonian Physics.

If theology is also a branch of knowledge it cannot be neglected without an ensuing prejudiced to the perfection of others. When theology is excluded, it place is filled by another to the detriment of universal knowledge. To be sure, theology plays an important role in the universal composite of knowledge by enriching it with value systems.

Also, the other branches of knowledge have their bearing on theology. University theology which is by no means a lesser form than other forms of theology has been enriched by various researches and advancements in others branches of knowledge. Since the late 1800’s, Archaeological discoveries, history, philosophy etc have all contributed to some theological revision.