The Rise of Universities

Summary (from the publisher): At the time of its publication in 1923, Charles Homer Haskins' The Rise of Universities was considered remarkable for its erudition, succinctness, and balance, The historian Theodor Mommsen described it as "a work which has remained unsurpassed in the conciseness and vividness of its account." Eight decades after its appearance, it remains fresh and informative. It has not been surpassed, and is as invaluable as ever.

 

Haskins traces the rise of the mediaeval university as one phase of the intellectual awakening in Europe in the late Middle Ages, in an effort to broaden our understanding of "the ancient and universal company of scholars." In the depth and breadth of its analysis, there is no better portrait of universities during their infancy in the Middle Ages. With great detail and precision, Haskins describes the university's curriculum, teaching, teachers, and students. Drawing deeply on his knowledge as one of the leading mediaeval scholars of his day, he provides an exceptionally vivid picture of student life of the time, through his analysis of their manuals, letters, and poetry. The Rise of Universities goes far beyond its central subject to offer a broad description of the social conditions in which universities took root and flourished. At the same time, one cannot read Haskins without seeing the influences of the mediaeval university on contemporary institutions of higher learning. The Rise of Universities reminds us that the university has not only been a crucible fostering intellectual inquiry and creativity, but continues after eight hundred years to be a center of teaching and learning.

 

In his new introduction, Lionel S. Lewis develops Haskins' passing observation that "the university of the twentieth century is the lineal descendant of mediaeval Paris and Bologna," and considers the question of why universities came into being at the particular time in history when they did. The Rise of Universities will be of interest to educators and students who wish to better understand the institutions in which they have lived, taught, and been taught.  

 

Review: I read this book for a class on perspectives on U.S. higher education for my master's degree program. This book was developed from three lectures given by Haskins in the 1920s on the origins of universities in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. One chapter focuses on the universities themselves, one on early professors, and one on students. The text does read more like an oral presentation than a comprehensive text, and thus is short on in-depth details and citations. While not incredibly comprehensive, it does provide an excellent overview of early institutions, allowing the reader to understand why and how modern day institutions are organized and operate they way they do.

 

Despite knowing a good deal about the history of higher education in America, prior to reading this text, I was unaware "that the university of the twentieth century is the lineal descendant of mediaeval Paris and Bologna" (5). It was interesting learning that early universities did not have physical presences or buildings of their own, and could thus protest rent or other expenses by picking up and moving to other locations.

 

Many concepts that we associate with modern day universities, such as academic freedom, originated with these early institutions. As now, the growth of universities was guided by the need for "education of professionals who could pursue religious, governmental, administrative, or legal careers, [...] which was guided by the belief that those with the most knowledge were prepared to be the most effective leaders" (xii - xiii).

 

I found this early history interesting, although Haskins largely just sparked my desire to learn more details about these early educational institutions. In particular, the final section on students was generic, focusing on students constantly need money or procrastinating on their work in favor of social pursuits - ironically, things we associate with college students to this day. However, overall, this text is an excellent starting point for those new to the very early history of universities.

 

Stars: 3