The Idea of a University
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1852, expanded 1873
- Form
- Essay
- Language
- English
- Length
- Long · 400 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Idea of a UniversityUniversity of Notre Dame Press, 1982Martin Svaglic's edition of the 1873 text with notes; the Yale edition by Frank Turner adds critical essays.
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Nine discourses Newman delivered in Dublin in 1852 when he was asked to found a Catholic university there, later joined to a set of lectures and essays on university subjects. He argues that a university exists to teach universal knowledge, that theology is a branch of knowledge and cannot be excluded without distorting the rest, that knowledge is its own end, and that a liberal education forms the philosophical habit of mind and the gentleman rather than the professional. The fifth discourse, Knowledge Its Own End, is the most often read.
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The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Idea of a University are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
