On the University in Enquiry - The Role of the University in Enquiry

Posted on November 01, 2023 by Ryan Carlin, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Introduction

When universities first came into existence their purpose was to impart to those who came to them an integral formation that not only taught them certain specific skills that they would need in their profession, but which also gave them a thorough and holistic education in all of the fields of human knowledge. Regrettably the majority of universities no longer live up to this ideal and students today would be hard pressed to find a school that offered them anymore than a technical education in a very specific field of human knowledge. In this work we are going to construct the ideal university as understood by John Henry Newman and Alasdair MacIntyre in the hopes that someday this can serve as a model for those institutions which seek to offer their students a truly integral formation that can empower them to make a difference in their world.

Chapter I – The Modern University

To be fare we must begin our discussion of how to rebuild the modern university by first looking at the modern university as it presently stands.
A. THE BASIC TENETS
There are three basic tenets that are common to the majority modern universities: hyper-specialization, an autonomous plurality, and a utilitarian “end”. Let us now look at these tenets in greater detail.
1. Hyper-specialization
By Hyper-specialization I mean an overemphasis upon a particular area of human knowledge to the detriment of education in other fields. This specialization is in itself very good for it has caused great advances in human knowledge, but when not tempered it can leave students wanting in other areas. A case in point could be a person who has studied a certain microbe for twenty years and who can tell you anything about it, but who could not answer a basic question such as why that microbe exists in the first place. This hyper specialization is frequently also mixed with a certain autonomous plurality that causes the rift between the disciplines to grow even wider.
2. Autonomous plurality
Plurality is also not in itself a bad thing for it tempers hyper-specialization by exposing students to various disciplines of knowledge, but it can also be taken to an extreme in which the method of teaching does not recognize and even discourages any idea of a unity between the subjects being taught. This is manifested in two ways. Namely by an attitude of autonomy in the way each professor presents his material without regard for the methods of other professors and by an attitude of autonomy from the other disciplines themselves. Both of these attitudes are detrimental to the education students receive for the first offers them an unsystematic approach that can cause confusion about how to understand a given subject and the second teaches them that there is no relation between the subjects that they study at all. This causes unnecessary confusion for students and destroys any concept of a common end towards which their education is directed.
3. Utilitarian “end”
Finally, the education imparted to students today is utilitarian in its “end”. If we may be permitted to use the word “end” at all since most would deny they have an end they are pursuing, even though this is a self refuting statement. Where the goal of education once was to help the student pursue his proper end, which is the contemplation of God and the perfection of his intellect, the educational focus has now shifted from an idea of being to a concept doing. Thus the goal of education today has become one of learning how to do things that will allow us to be productive in our society instead of seeking to perfect our own intellect for its own good.
4. In Sum
To sum this all up we can say that today universities seek to offer their students a highly specialized and technical education that is geared towards excellence in their particular discipline, but which does not give due respect to any other fields of knowledge either alone or in relation to other disciplines. Having now seen the errors of the modern educational structure let us begin our own construction.

Chapter II – Newman on the Role of the University in Enquiry

In 1852 John Henry Newman was invited by the Irish bishop to become the first rector of the Catholic University that they were founding in Dublin to offer students an alternative to the secular education being offered by the British Monarchy. It was in this capacity that he gave a series of lectures in which he laid out his thought on what a true university should be. In this chapter we will review his thought on these points to lay the foundation for our own enquiry into what is necessary to build a true university today.
A. THE GOAL OF THE UNIVERSITY
For Newman the goal of a university education is to transform the students’ minds by perfecting the intellectual virtues in them so that they are capable of making proper decisions in their own lives. Alasdair MacIntyre speaking on Newman’s thought on this point characterized his position in the following way:
The aim of a university education is not to fit students for this or that particular profession or career, to equip them with the theory that will later on find useful applications to this or that form of practice. It is to transform their minds so that that student becomes a different kind of individual, one able to engage fruitfully in conversation and debate. One who has a capacity for exercising judgment, for bringing insights and arguments from a variety of disciplines to bear on a particular complex issue.
Using this statement as our point of departure Let us look briefly at the influences that shaped his thought on this topic.
B. INFLUENCES UPON NEWMAN’S THOUGHT ON UNIVERSITIES
There are three main influences that have shaped Newman’s thought on what a university should be.
1. Aristotelian thought
The first of these is his devotion to Aristotelian thought. He points out that even the most common man naturally lives according to many Aristotelian principles of thought for:
While we are men, we cannot help, to a great extent, being Aristotelians. …In many Subject-matters, to think correctly, is to think like Aristotle; and we are his disciples whether we will or no (Sic), even though we may not know it.
2. British Empiricism
The second is his deep knowledge of the British Empiricists whom he began studying from his youth in order to be able to refute their arguments.
3. Bishop Joseph Butler
The third, and maybe most important, influence upon his thought was the work of Bishop Joseph Butler on moral philosophy. Newman would take his work on the conscience as a foundation for his own Natural Theology and recognition of a supreme being. It is this conception of the Supreme Being that Newman believes gives unity to the universe and thus also to the disciplines of enquiry themselves.
C. THE STRUCTURE OF NEWMAN’S THOUGHT
Basing ourselves on Newman’s goal of the university that we have just mentioned above let us now reconstruct his concept of what goes into making a true university.
1. Teleological and theological
Beginning on Aristotelian principles Newman’s theory of the way a university should be is eminently teleological. All parts of a person’s education are ultimately ordered to the common end of perfecting his intellect and hence have an intrinsic unity within themselves and with respect to the other disciplines of knowledge. If there is such a common end then there also has to be some common principle which unites all of these things. Here Newman’s theory shows its essential theological nature for he holds this common principle to be God.
2. Thorough and complete
Turning again to the subjects themselves we see that Newman believes that education must be thorough and include every field of knowledge. He recognizes that when gaps are left in the educational system other disciplines ultimately try to fill them and in this way overstep their own boundaries weaken and themselves in the process. Yet a simple thoroughness of teaching is not enough. There must also be a holistic approach to this education in which all of the disciplines recognize that they are part of a whole and must therefore contribute to a common end by following a common systematic method and structure.
3. The role of philosophy
Working from here it is then the role of philosophy to show how the different disciplines are connected and how they should be systemically studied both in themselves and with respect to the other disciplines for the benefit of the student.
D. THE RESULT
1. The foundations
Based on what we have said thus far let us now make a synthetic summary of what Newman’s ideal university would look like. This university would study the broadest possible range of disciplines in such a way that each contributed to the perfecting of the students intellect so that he could not only be successful in his profession, but would also be a man of wise insight, capable of making proper decisions in varied and often difficult circumstances.
2. The next step
Using Newman’s important insights as our foundation let us now turn to Alasdair MacIntyre for help in the next stage of building our ideal university.

Chapter III – MacIntyre on the Role of the University in Enquiry

Alasdair MacIntyre is a great student of John Henry Newman and the latter has had profound effects upon MacIntyre’s thought in the field of the university, as wells as many other areas. With the help of MacIntyre we will now erect the edifice of the ideal university upon the foundations Newman has laid for us.
A. THE GOAL OF THE UNIVERSITY
For Alasdair MacIntyre the goal of the university is almost identical to that of Newman. He believes that it should be an institution in which true answers to perennial questions are sought in such a manner that those who graduate have achieved a balanced and broad wisdom that allows them to make proper judgments in life. This conviction is rooted in his belief that the end of education is “to know and to understand, that we cannot but set ourselves the achievement of truth as a goal” . To do this he believes there must also be a conducive environment in which truth is genuinely sought in a spirit of openness to finding out that one is wrong and needs to change.
B. THE INFLUENCES ON MACINTYRE’S THOUGHT ON UNIVERSITIES
There are four main thinkers who have had influence upon MacIntyre’s thought on universities.
1. John Henry Newman
The first and most important of these is John Henry Newman. From him MacIntyre has taken four key concepts. First, the ordering all enquiry to the common goal of the perfection of one’s knowledge which implies a recognition of the unity within each discipline and between the different disciplines. Second, the need for a common end towards which all the different parts of enquiry tend which is eminently theological. Third, the need for a thorough and unified approach that systemically addresses all of the areas of knowledge in their necessary detail without losing sight of the over arching goal. And fourth, the need for philosophy to serve as this over arching science which orders all of the others.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas
He has also been deeply influenced by St Thomas Aquinas who has contributed his theory of a gradual, systematic educational system that follows the student’s natural maturing process.
3. Aristotle
Finally he is also essentially Aristotelian in his thought for he has received Aristotelian concepts not only from his own study, but through the thought of the two great thinkers mentioned above.
4. Alasdair MacIntyre
The fourth key thinker to have influence upon Alasdair MacIntyre is MacIntyre himself. He has not only assimilated the thought of these other philosophers, but has at the same time enriched it to provide us with even more insights into what a university should be, especially by his emphasis upon seeking answers to perennial questions. We will now review his thought on this issue as he helps us to build the edifice of our new university.

C. THE STRUCTURE OF MACINTYRE’S THOUGHT
For Alasdair Macintyre the enquiry that characterizes a proper university must be rooted in the fundamental questions, follow a method that is thorough, unified, and systematic, and take place in an environment that recognizes the common end that all the disciplines are pursuing. Let us now break this down and analyze his criteria one at a time.
1. Rooted in the fundamental questions
All enquiry is essentially ordered to the finding of truth and the university plays a large part in this endeavor for it is in universities that true and definitive answers to the perennial questions of man’s life are sought and found. Thus there must be an environment of healthy and open questioning that seeks to improve itself. This requires both a spirit of self analysis and a spirit of seeking answers by questioning rather than of just learning readymade answers by heart. MacIntyre highlights the need for this in one of his essays saying,
This tends to be a culture of answer, not of questions, and those answers, whether secular or religious, liberal or conservative, are generally delivered as though to put an end to questioning. … when plain persons do try to ask those questions about the human good and nature of things … the culture immediately invites them to think of something else and to forget those questions.
Building upon these fundamental questions the remaining aspects of enquiry can proceed with sure footing.
2. Thorough
In order to be thorough a university education must cover all of the fields of knowledge in such a way that a student has a comprehensive knowledge of all disciplines with sufficient depth to be able to dialogue with others in that field. This approach must also avoid leaving gaps in a students’ knowledge that other disciplines will try to fill and in so doing over step their bounds to pontificate on matters outside of their expertise. This thorough treatment leads to a need for a unified approach in order to be truly complete.
3. Unified
Thus the method is also unified, meaning that it recognizes the intrinsic unity within each discipline and between each of the respective disciplines. To truly know a subject one must also know its place in the overall scheme of the universe. Thus an education that lacks an integral understanding of the place of all of the disciplines of knowledge lacks a true integral understanding of itself. It is the role of philosophy to provide this integral understanding for while the other fields of knowledge study particular things philosophy studies knowledge itself. It thus provides the over arching science in light of which all of the other human sciences can be understood. It however is also a limited human science and as one studies he discovers that it too has a master that directs it and all of the other mundane sciences, theology. It is the role of philosophy to serve as a bridge between these two levels of science so that each can systematically enrich the other.
4. Systematic
When he speaks of a systematic method he is referring to an approach to education that recognizes the above mentioned unity of disciplines as well as the natural learning and maturing process of the student. Thus each subject should be taught in such a way that it meshes with what is being learned in other disciplines and that over time builds upon itself to form an intellectual edifice with solid foundations and structure. This requires that all of the teachers’ and students’ work be rooted in the fundamental questions which give purpose to the enquiry itself.
5. The environment
In order for this to be possible the enquiry must take place in an environment of honesty and openness. This requires all of the different disciplines to work together to understand one another while also respecting each other’s autonomy in its own field of specialization. Thus there must be less of an emphasis upon specialization and techniques and more upon unity and truth for all seek a common end, truth, which ultimately reaches beyond them and finds its reference point in the something beyond us.
6. Teleological
All of this is ultimately ordered to the end of preparing students who not only have specialized knowledge in certain fields and the intellectual virtues necessary to learn, but men and women who possess the ultimate intellectual virtue of Sapientia. This virtue is the culmination of one’s intellectual enquiry for with it one is capable of grasping the perennial truths that allow them to make proper judgments in all of the fields of their lives. Thus we have come full circle for this is the goal that Newman and MacIntyre laid out for us earlier in this work.
7. In sum
When all of this is combined it forms a formidable intellectual edifice that fulfills the goal which MacIntyre gave us earlier, to provide students with a broad and deep education that makes them capable of making the proper decisions in life.
D. THE RESULT
1. The edifice
Let us now summarize MacIntyre’s concept of the ideal university. For him it would be an institution that provided a truth centered, thorough, unified, systematic education in an environment of intellectual openness ordered to a common end. This provides a formidable intellectual edifice and in such a university leaders of every profession can be prepared to offer wise guidance to their colleagues.

Conclusion
1. The blue print
Let us now review the blue prints of the building we have constructed. First we studied the designs of modern universities to recognize the structural errors to avoid, we then laid solid foundations with the help of John Henry Newman, and finally we built a solid edifice with the help of Alasdair MacIntyre.
2. A few reflections
Looking at this edifice I cannot help, but wander at the depth of reflection of these two great men that has laid out such a clear path for the rest of us to follow. However, where do we go from here? What is our next step? I believe that it would be Newman and MacIntyre’s wish that we seek to take their reflections even farther and to improve their theory in light of continued study of the topic. While I do not quite match them in terms of intellectual caliber I do believe that there are two aspects of the university education that they have neglected to discuss moral and spiritual formation. I believe that this is also the duty of the university for, whether intentional or not, each school will have a certain ideology latent in its curriculum and environment that is absorbed by the student regardless of the university’s intentions. I am not saying that there should necessarily be actual disciplines of religious and moral study, which would not hurt either, but that the institution must recognize that the culture it promotes is also educational for the student and must therefore be a healthy moral and spiritual culture that contributes to the common goal of perfecting the student. This is the contribution which the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi brings to the table with its methodology of integral formation.
3. Put out into the deep
So to return to our previous question. Where do we go from here? As Legionaries of Christ and men of the Movement we need to take the work of these great thinkers and through study mesh it with our own methodology of integral formation in order to give life to Newman and MacIntyre’s ideal university in our institutions of higher education throughout the world.

Bibliography
MACINTYRE, ALASDAIR, God, philosophy, universities, Sheed & Ward, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009.
MACINTYRE, ALASDAIR, The Tasks of Philosophy: Selected Essays, Volume 1, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
NEWMAN, JOHN HENRY, Fifteen Sermons Preached Before the University of Oxford Between A.D. 1826 and 1843, Intro. Mary Catherine Tillman, Notre Dame IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997.