Micro-post #101: An article about how 1800s Germany gave form to the modern university

"The Origins of the Research University" by Clara Collier (Asterisk)

Photo by Dom Fou (Unsplash)

"Again: it’s not that nobody in German universities did research. It’s that they lacked the incentives to prefer it to sterile intellectual virtuosity. The erudite dissertations aren’t just useless — research doesn’t have to be useful. For [historian William] Clark, the real problem with them is that they don’t lead anywhere. They’re a way of showing off, not part of a broader scholarly dialogue. "Works of research usually provide a basis for further research and/or relate to other, related works in a complementary and supplementary manner. They add up to something positive." I like this as a definition of research. It is also very German. Specifically, I think it goes back to Immanuel Kant. Kant was very much not a cameralist. Instead, he argued that the philosophy faculty required independence — from the government as well as the "higher" faculties of law, theology, and medicine — in order to carry out its real business, pursuing truth." - Clara Collier

Reminder: I'm currently taking a blogging sabbatical and this was a pre-planned scheduled post. If there's typos or mishaps, I'll take care of them once I'm back. Thanks for understanding! - AB