THE RISE OF THE UNIVERSITIES
=Literature.=--_Laurie_, Rise of the Universities; _Hallam_, Middle
Ages; _Guizot_, History of Civilization; _Paulsen_, The German
Universities; _Hurst_, Life and Literature in the Fatherland; _Brother
Azarias_, Essays Educational.
We have seen that the Church had almost entire control of education
during the Middle Ages. Through her influence schools were established
and maintained, learning was preserved, and the interests of
civilization were promoted. She was also influential in the founding of
universities, though not to her alone were these institutions due.
Laurie says:--
"Now looking first to the germ out of which the universities grew, I
think we must say that the universities may be regarded as a natural
development of the cathedral[45] and monastery schools; but if we seek
for an external motive force urging men to undertake the more profound
and independent study of the liberal arts, we can find it only in the
Saracenic schools of Bagdad, Babylon, Alexandria, and Cordova. The
Saracens were necessarily brought into contact with Greek literature,
just when the western Church was drifting away from it; and by their
translations of Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle, and other Greek classics,
they restored what may be quite accurately called the 'university life'
of the Greeks."
The first universities, however, can hardly be said to have been
inspired by the influence of the Church. Nor did the State assist in
their establishment, though it afterward sanctioned them, and conferred
upon them their peculiar privileges. The first universities grew out of
organizations of scholars and students who joined themselves together
for the purpose of study and investigation. The oldest institution of
this kind was that of Salerno, Italy, which Laurie says was a "public
school from A.D. 1060, and a privileged school from 1100." It
taught medicine only, and was established by a converted Jew. It was
entirely independent of both Church and State, and attracted students
from many countries.
The next university was that of Bologna, Italy. It also had only one
faculty, that of law. In 1158 Frederick I. recognized the institution by
giving it certain privileges. It awakened widespread interest throughout
Europe, so that by the end of the twelfth century it is estimated that
twelve thousand students had flocked to Bologna, most of them from
foreign lands. This is an indication that the revival of learning was
quite general throughout the world.
But the greatest university of the Middle Ages was that of Paris, which
attracted at least twenty thousand students. The university of Paris was
evolved from a cathedral school, and it always retained a strong
theological tendency. Philip Augustus gave it privileges as a
corporation, and Pope Innocent III. recognized it as a high school of
theology. The course of study was by no means narrow, as it was held
that broad knowledge was essential as a preparation for theological
study. Consequently it was not long before a philosophical
faculty[46]--the first in history--was added as separate from the
theological faculty. The greatest name connected with the university of
Paris is that of Abelard. Early in the twelfth century he attracted
great numbers of students, and it was his personality that made Paris
the greatest university of the Middle Ages.
The university of Oxford, England, was founded in 1140,[47] that of
Cambridge in 1200. The oldest German university is Prague, founded in
1348. Then follow: Vienna, 1365; Heidelberg, 1386; Cologne,[3] 1388;
Erfurt,[48] 1392; Wuerzburg, 1403; Leipsic, 1409; Rostock, 1419;
Greifswald, 1456; Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1457; Trier, 1472; Tuebingen,
1477; and Mainz, 1477. In France, after Paris, Toulouse, 1233; Orleans,
Cahors, Caen, Poitiers, Nantes, and others during the fourteenth
century. In the same century at Lund and Upsala in Sweden, Christiania
in Norway, and Copenhagen in Denmark. Italy, Spain, England, Ireland,
and Scotland also felt this wonderful impulse. These universities were
usually modeled after that of Paris.
The European universities were early granted certain privileges, many
of which are accorded to this day. Indeed, some of these privileges were
assumed and allowed before the institutions had official recognition by
charter. These educational associations acquired so much influence and
power that princes and popes vied with each other to gain favor with
them by granting them special privileges. One of the most important of
these is that the government of the student body rests with the
university faculty, both as to their life in connection with the
university, and also outside of it. Thus to this day if a student is
arrested by the police, his case is turned over to the authorities of
the university for trial and punishment. This was an important
concession largely growing out of the fact that a great many of the
students were citizens of other countries than that in which the
university was located. It will readily appear that this privilege alone
would have a tendency to create a world for university students and
professors apart from that of the citizens. Doubtless the moral tone
among the former was often very low. Students took advantage of the
situation created by their peculiar privileges, and disregarded laws
which the citizens were obliged to obey. Conflicts between these two
classes, therefore, were frequent and bitter.
The universities stimulated a desire for learning, created a respect for
it, and began a movement toward free investigation, and for the
promulgation of liberal ideas, which gains strength with each decade of
the world's history. They have greatly contributed to the growth of
knowledge, to the advancement of science, and to the elevation of
mankind.
FOOTNOTES:
[45] The cathedral schools were institutions connected with each
cathedral for the purpose of training priests for their sacred office,
but they were not limited entirely to priests. Instructions in the seven
liberal arts was imparted, and also in religion. Parochial schools were
established in many places for the purpose of training children in the
doctrines of the Church. Thus, as early as the ninth century, the Church
sought to extend the benefits of education to the people as well as to
the priesthood. While the parochial schools were limited in their
instruction, somewhat after the manner of the early catechumen schools,
the changed conditions of Christianity permitted a much broader training
than formerly.
[46] The complete university has four faculties, which embrace all human
knowledge. The historical order of precedence is as follows: _Theology_
(1259-60), _Law_ (1271), _Medicine_ (1274), and _Arts_ or _Philosophy_
(1281). The last includes all subjects not embraced in the first three.
Thus all branches of science, history, language, mathematics, etc.,
belong to the "philosophical" faculty.
[47] Laurie, "Rise of the Universities."
[48] No longer in existence