The Rise of Universities / Edition 1

by Charles Homer Haskins

Overview

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 his-torian 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 preci-sion, 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 tht 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 univer-sity 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 cen-tury 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 the 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765808950
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	10/31/2001
Series:	Foundations of Higher Education Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	180
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Charles Homer Haskins (1870-1937) spent most of his academic career at Harvard University, first as the Gurney Professor of History and Political Science and then as the Henry Charles Lea Professor of Mediaeval History and Classics. Among hi many books are Norman Institutions, Studies in the History of Mediaeval Science, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century, and Studies in Mediaeval Culture. Lionel S. Lewis is professor emeritus of sociology and adjunct professor of higher education at SUNY/Buffalo. He has written more than one hundred fifty research articles, essays, and reviews. He is the author of Cold War on Campus: A Study of the Politics of Organizational Control and Academic Governance: The Lattimore Case at Johns Hopkins.

Table of Contents

I: The Earliest Universities; II: The Mediaeval Professor; III: The Mediaeval Student

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A work which has remained unsurpassed in the conciseness and vividness of its account.

Editorial Reviews

"The republication of Charles Homer Haskins' The Rise of Universities is cause for celebration among historians of higher education and among medievalists of all disciplines...Haskins' argument is a powerful one: that today's university system is a direct (and immediate) descendent of the collections of scholars who gathered around master teachers in the great cities of Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries...[His] thesis was profound for its time and remains the guiding interpretation of medieval universities." —Library Quarterly

From the Publisher

The book displays a breadth of learning, a coherence of argument, and an economy of expression which make it a delight to read. Carrying his scholarship lightly, the author leads his audience easily and intimately into no less a topic than 'certain of the changes.. brought about in mankind by the advent of civilization,' i.e., by the rise of cities.

Yale Review

This book does not claim to be a finished product or a final answer to any of the fundamental issues raised; but it is a stimulating experience to share his thinking as this writer comes to grips with them in his sincere and profound way. There is throughout a simplicity and human touch about the man that captivates the reader.

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science