The Idea of a University

As timely today as when it was written in 1852, John Henry Newman’s The Idea of a University champions a “discipline of mind” that enables its possessor to distinguish essence from accident, means from end, and good from evil. These habits are now all too rare. And that is part of the contemporary age’s poverty, for the person educated according to Newman’s prescription gains the “clear, calm, accurate vision” that is a necessary condition for reliable judgment and the exercise of true freedom. This new edition features an Introduction by Don J. Briel and an Afterword by Christopher O. Blum as well as a Newman reading list and questions on the text to invite discussion and reflection.

The Idea of a University abounds in the delightful melody of Newman’s prose, the sharpness of his insights, and the force of his arguments; it also joyfully rings out with the tone of something incomparably more valuable, a vast vista of an orderly life of learning with a glimpse of the mind’s last end—God. 

“Blessed Newman’s insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society, and into the need for a broadly based and wide-ranging approach to education…continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

Paperback. 468 pages.