Philosophy in higher education

a study of J. H. Newman’s "The idea of a university"

Corona, Marial

The current state of Universities and proposals for its future inspire dozens of books and articles every year, and Newman’s Idea of a University, although not a guidebook, continues to be a source of reflection for many after 150 years. In this dissertation, articulated in four chapters, the author explores Newman’s Idea paying special attention to his understanding of philosophy and the role he gives it in University education. Particular highlights of this work are the analysis of the fundamental building blocks of Newman’s Idea: the unity, universality and utility, or rather non-utility, of knowledge, along with his particular understanding of philosophy as an architectonic science and a possible articulation of the different viewpoints and opinions that the Idea has generated throughout the years. Even though some of the assumptions that Newman uses to build his discourse have changed, he still has a lot to say about higher education since human nature is basically the same as ever.