Overview

As John Henry Newman reflected on 'The Idea of a University' more than a century and a half ago, Bradley C. S. Watson brings together some of the nation's most eminent thinkers on higher education to reflect on the nature and purposes of the American university today. They detail the life and rather sad times of the American university, its relationship to democracy, and the place of the liberal arts within it. Their mordant reflections paint a picture of the American university in crisis. But they also point toward a renewal of the university by redirecting it toward those things that resist the passions of the moment, or the pull of mere utility. This book is essential reading for thoughtful citizens, scholars, and educational policymakers.

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9780739149157

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This volume deserves the attention of all those who care about the fate of liberal education in our time. The thoughtful scholars included in this work show that the once clear and purposive western universities, which were dedicated to the search for truth and elevation of the human mind and soul, are now dedicated to nothing at all, unless it be to a kind of intellectual promiscuity. Nonetheless, this volume contains within it the seeds of hope for recapturing the purpose of the liberal arts in modern democratic societies, and therewithal, a recommitment to the highest human aspirations. -- Colleen Sheehan, Villanova University Essential reading for anyone concerned about the future on higher education in America. Don't miss it. -- Roger Kimball, author of Tenured Radicals: How Politics Has Corrupted Our Higher Education These thoughtful and penetrating essays on American higher education offer not just a stark dissection of its follies and failures, but also the wisdom necessary for renewal. -- Bruce S. Thornton, National Fellow, Hoover Institution

This volume deserves the attention of all those who care about the fate of liberal education in our time. The thoughtful scholars included in this work show that the once clear and purposive western universities, which were dedicated to the search for truth and elevation of the human mind and soul, are now dedicated to nothing at all, unless it be to a kind of intellectual promiscuity. Nonetheless, this volume contains within it the seeds of hope for recapturing the purpose of the liberal arts in modern democratic societies, and therewithal, a recommitment to the highest human aspirations.--Sheehan, Colleen

This volume deserves the attention of all those who care about the fate of liberal education in our time. The thoughtful scholars included in this work show that the once clear and purposive western universities, which were dedicated to the search for truth and elevation of the human mind and soul, are now dedicated to nothing at all, unless it be to a kind of intellectual promiscuity. Nonetheless, this volume contains within it the seeds of hope for recapturing the purpose of the liberal arts in modern democratic societies, and therewithal, a recommitment to the highest human aspirations. -- Sheehan, Colleen Essential reading for anyone concerned about the future on higher education in America. Don't miss it. -- Roger Kimball These thoughtful and penetrating essays on American higher education offer not just a stark dissection of its follies and failures, but also the wisdom necessary for renewal. -- Bruce S. Thornton

Author Information

Bradley C. S. Watson is professor of political science at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania, and the Philip M. McKenna Chair in American and Western Political Thought.

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