Goetze, T. orcid.org/0000-0002-3435-3264 (2019) The concept of a university: theory, practice, and society. Danish Yearbook of Philosophy, 52 (1). pp. 61-81. ISSN 0070-2749
Abstract
Current disputes over the nature and purpose of the university are rooted in a philosophical divide between theory and practice. Academics often defend a concept of the university devoted to purely theoretical activities. Politicians and wider society tend to argue that the university should take up more practical concerns. I critique two typical defences of the theoretical concept—one historical, one based on the value of pure research—and show that neither the theoretical nor the practical concept of a university accommodates all the important goals expected of university research and teaching. Using the classical pragmatist argument against a sharp division between theory and practice, I show how we can move beyond the debate between the theoretical and practical concepts of the university, while maintaining a place for pure and applied research, liberal and vocational education, and social impact through both economic applications and criticism aimed at promoting social justice.
Metadata
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands 2019. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in the Danish Yearbook of Philosophy. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. | ||||
Keywords: | Universities; higher education; theory and practice; pragmatism; John Dewey | ||||
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield | ||||
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Department of Philosophy (Sheffield) | ||||
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Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield | ||||
Date Deposited: | 01 Apr 2019 10:58 | ||||
Last Modified: | 19 Nov 2021 14:22 | ||||
Status: | Published | ||||
Publisher: | Brill | ||||
Refereed: | Yes | ||||
Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.1163/24689300-05201001 |