52 min
History of Universities, Part 2: A Crumbling Tower? Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
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- Society & Culture
In the second part of our exploration of the history of universities, we discuss the apotheosis of the university in the American republic, the rise of the German-style research university, and the arrival of women in the elite universities. We end by considering the current crisis of universities, as humanities departments disappear, sexual-assault scandals tarnish prestigious schools, and the public turns an increasingly jaundiced and cynical eye toward the academic “ivory tower.”
Please support Historiansplaining, in the spirit of knowledge and inquiry, and to get patron-only lectures such as my latest on political left and right: www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
Suggested further reading: Walter Ruegg, ed., “A History of the University in Europe,” 4 vols.; William Clark, “Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University”; Peter Novick, “That Noble Dream: The Objectivity Question and the American Historical Profession”; Henry Adams, “The Education of Henry Adams”; Chad Wellmon, “A Wild Muddle: Have American Elite Colleges Lost Their Moral Purpose Altogether?”
Image: “Alma Mater,” Columbia University, New York City, photographed by Beyond My Ken.
Intro music: Domenico Scarlatti, Sonata in D minor, played on harpsichord by Wanda Landowska.
In the second part of our exploration of the history of universities, we discuss the apotheosis of the university in the American republic, the rise of the German-style research university, and the arrival of women in the elite universities. We end by considering the current crisis of universities, as humanities departments disappear, sexual-assault scandals tarnish prestigious schools, and the public turns an increasingly jaundiced and cynical eye toward the academic “ivory tower.”
Please support Historiansplaining, in the spirit of knowledge and inquiry, and to get patron-only lectures such as my latest on political left and right: www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
Suggested further reading: Walter Ruegg, ed., “A History of the University in Europe,” 4 vols.; William Clark, “Academic Charisma and the Origins of the Research University”; Peter Novick, “That Noble Dream: The Objectivity Question and the American Historical Profession”; Henry Adams, “The Education of Henry Adams”; Chad Wellmon, “A Wild Muddle: Have American Elite Colleges Lost Their Moral Purpose Altogether?”
Image: “Alma Mater,” Columbia University, New York City, photographed by Beyond My Ken.
Intro music: Domenico Scarlatti, Sonata in D minor, played on harpsichord by Wanda Landowska.
52 min