Три идеи университета

Вопросы философии. 2022. № 7. С. 66–74.

Rutkevich A. M.

The term “idea” was used in history of thought in three main meanings: Plato’s eidos; transcendental ides of pure reason in Kants first “Kritik”; and understanding of simple and complicated ideas in the Empiricism of Modernity. Each of these interpretations is in correlation with definite seeing of the University, as well as of the place of Philosophy in it. The medieval University inherited from antiquity the ideal of Paideia, realized by the liberal arts, having their summit in Philosophy, paving the way to Theology. Through the ages this ideal rests in some of the Anglo-Saxon universities with their system of education of the elite by means of liberal arts, The second model incarnated in the projects of the reforms in the beginning of the XIX-th Century is associated today with the name of W. von Humboldt. University is a place of Socratic dialogue of the successful scientist with his future collegue, education goes hand by hand with investigation. The mass university of the last decades is directed by Empiricism and Pragmatism, oriented to the maximization of social utility and benefits for the University itself. It is now a corporation among other corporations, providing specialist and experts for them. If there is a need for Philosophy in such University, it appears as a way of rescue from all metaphysical illusions, liberal arts reduced to such offspring of “postmodern” as gender and postcolonial studies.

Keywords: университет, философия, наука, philosophy, science, university, liberal arts, свободные искусства, idea, идея, paideia, пайдейя