What are Universities for?

The School of Life

20 Jul 201503:39

Summary

TLDRThe video script explores the dual purpose of universities: to equip individuals with professional skills and to guide them in understanding life's deeper questions. It highlights a historical shift from religious to secular sources of meaning, with culture stepping in to fill the void left by declining faith. The speaker critiques the current university structure, which often overlooks existential inquiries in favor of academic disciplines. They propose a future model where departments are reorganized around life's core concerns, such as relationships, death, and career self-knowledge, fostering a more holistic approach to education that addresses both practical and profound aspects of human experience.

Takeaways

🎓 **Education for Living**: Universities primarily aim to teach people how to make a living through specialized fields like engineering, biochemistry, or economics.
🌟 **Cultural Ambition**: Universities also have a broader ambition to teach students how to live, addressing questions of meaning and personal fulfillment.
🕰️ **Historical Context**: Many universities were founded in the 19th century when religious belief was declining, and there was a search for new sources of meaning.
🏛️ **Culture Replaces Scripture**: In a secular age, culture, through works like Plato's dialogues or Shakespeare's plays, was seen as a replacement for religious scripture.
🏫 **University Relevance**: Current university settings may not be well-equipped to handle big existential questions that were traditionally addressed by religion.
🤔 **Unaddressed Questions**: Questions about life purpose, relationships, and societal change are often not directly addressed within university curriculums.
📚 **Academic Priorities**: University departments are named after academic disciplines, which may not reflect the actual concerns of students in their personal lives.
🌐 **Ideal University Structure**: An ideal future university would reorganize departments to reflect real-life priorities, such as relationships, death, anxiety, and career self-knowledge.
📈 **Practical Learning**: Instead of studying historical periods or literary genres, students would learn practical skills like reducing anxiety or increasing compassion.
💭 **Criticisms as Hope**: Criticizing current universities is not about giving up on them, but rather about pushing them to fulfill their original promise of guiding students in life and death.
🌱 **Original Promise**: Universities should act as centers for generating ideas that can genuinely help individuals live and die well amidst the hustle of modern life.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of universities as mentioned in the transcript?
-The main purpose of universities is to teach people how to make a living by educating the young to become professionals such as engineers, biochemists, or economists.
What is the secondary ambition of universities that is sometimes highlighted during graduation ceremonies?
-The secondary ambition is that universities might also teach us how to live, helping us understand what really matters in life, our identity, the direction of our societies, and how to achieve happiness and fulfillment.
Why were many universities founded in the mid-19th century?
-Universities were founded during this time as belief in religion was declining, and there was a need for new institutions to provide meaning, consolation, wisdom, and a sense of community that was traditionally found in churches.
How was the decline in religious belief addressed in the context of universities?
-The decline was addressed by the idea that culture would replace scripture, with universities housing works like the dialogues of Plato, the plays of Shakespeare, and the novels of Jane Austen, which were seen as secular sources of wisdom.
What is the problem the speaker identifies with how big questions are handled in universities?
-The problem is that big questions about life's meaning and purpose, which were traditionally addressed by religion, seem out of place in the average university setting, which is more focused on academic disciplines and less on existential or practical concerns.
How do current university departments reflect priorities?
-Current university departments, named after academic disciplines like history or literature, reflect arcane priorities rather than the actual issues troubling people in their daily lives.
What kind of reorganization is suggested for the ideal university of the future?
-The ideal university of the future should reorganize its departments to reflect the actual priorities of our lives, such as having departments for relationships, death, anxiety, and career self-knowledge.
What would be the focus of study in the reorganized university?
-Instead of studying specific historical periods or literary genres, the focus would be on practical aspects of life, such as learning how to be less anxious or how to be more compassionate.
What is the ultimate goal of the criticism of current universities?
-The goal is not to give up on universities but to encourage them to fulfill their original promise of being centers that generate ideas to help us live and die well in a busy world.
Why is it important for universities to address the big questions and inner dramas of life?
-Addressing big questions and inner dramas is important because it helps individuals find meaning and direction in life, reconcile their desires for wealth with their need for purpose, and understand the workings of power in society.
What role do humanities play in addressing the existential questions of students?
-Humanities can play a significant role in addressing existential questions by providing a platform to explore relationships, life choices, the balance between financial success and personal meaning, and the dynamics of power.
How can universities contribute to the personal development of students beyond academic knowledge?
-Universities can contribute to personal development by offering courses and resources that focus on self-knowledge, emotional well-being, ethical considerations, and the development of compassion and other virtues.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Purpose and Evolution of Universities

This paragraph discusses the dual purpose of universities: to educate individuals in practical fields for employment and to explore broader existential questions. It highlights a historical context where universities were founded during a decline in religious faith, aiming to provide a secular space for finding meaning and community. The paragraph also points out the disconnect between the grand ideas universities were founded on and the current state of higher education, where such profound inquiries are often sidelined in favor of more academic and less existentially engaging subjects.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Universities

Universities are institutions of higher education and research, which traditionally focus on teaching and learning. In the context of the video, they are portrayed as places that not only educate individuals for professional careers but also have the potential to guide them in understanding the meaning of life and personal fulfillment. The script mentions how universities were founded during a time when religious belief was declining, suggesting they were seen as replacements for finding meaning and community.

💡Making a Living

Making a living refers to earning a wage or income from one's work to sustain oneself financially. The video script initially describes the primary function of universities as teaching people how to make a living by preparing them for careers such as engineers, biochemists, or economists. This concept is central to understanding the traditional view of universities as vocational training grounds.

💡Cultural Relevance

Cultural relevance denotes the significance and importance of cultural elements, such as literature, art, and philosophy, in shaping human values and understanding. The script discusses how, in a secular age, culture was expected to take on the role previously held by religion, providing meaning, wisdom, and a sense of community. This idea is linked to the founding of universities and other cultural institutions.

💡Meaning of Life

The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of existence. The video suggests that universities have a broader ambition beyond vocational training, which is to help individuals discover what really matters in life and how to live more fulfilled lives. This is tied to the idea that universities might serve a role similar to that of religion in providing answers to life's big questions.

💡Secularization

Secularization is the process by which society becomes less dominated by religious institutions and ideas. The script refers to the 19th-century decline in religious belief and the subsequent need for new sources of meaning, suggesting that culture and education could fill the void left by religion. This concept is key to understanding the historical context in which universities were seen as potential providers of moral and philosophical guidance.

💡Educational Ambition

Educational ambition refers to the lofty goals and aspirations of educational institutions beyond imparting basic knowledge and skills. The video speaks of a 'stranger, bigger ambition' of universities to teach not just professional skills but also how to live a meaningful life. This ambition is linked to the idea that universities can contribute to personal development and societal progress on a deeper level.

💡Commencement Addresses

Commencement addresses are speeches given at graduation ceremonies, often intended to inspire and impart wisdom upon the graduating class. The script mentions these addresses as moments when the broader ambitions of universities might surface, suggesting that they can be occasions for reflecting on life's purpose and the graduates' roles in society.

💡Inner Dramas

Inner dramas refer to the personal struggles and existential questions that individuals face. The video script points out that such deep, personal inquiries often seem out of place in the university setting, which is more focused on academic and professional development. This concept highlights the disconnect between the personal significance of life's big questions and the typical university curriculum.

💡Academic Disciplines

Academic disciplines are fields of study that universities organize their departments around, such as history, literature, or philosophy. The script criticizes these divisions for reflecting outdated priorities rather than the actual concerns of people's lives. It suggests that in an ideal university, departments would be reorganized to reflect more pressing life issues.

💡Departmental Reorganization

Departmental reorganization involves restructuring academic departments to better align with current societal needs and individual concerns. The video proposes a future university model where departments are named after life priorities, such as relationships or death, instead of traditional academic subjects. This reorganization would aim to make universities more relevant to the personal and existential questions students face.

💡Life Priorities

Life priorities are the significant issues and concerns that individuals deem most important in their lives. The script argues that universities should take these priorities more seriously, suggesting that they could be better addressed through specialized departments or centers within the university. This concept is central to the video's critique of current university structures and its vision for a more relevant educational system.

💡Existential Questions

Existential questions are inquiries about the nature of human existence, purpose, and the meaning of life. The video script discusses how such questions are often not well-addressed in universities, which are more focused on academic and vocational subjects. The inclusion of existential questions in the university curriculum is proposed as a way to help students navigate the complexities of life and find personal fulfillment.

Highlights

Universities are traditionally seen as places to teach people how to make a living, particularly through fields like engineering, biochemistry, or economics.

There is a broader, less commonly acknowledged purpose of universities: to teach us how to live, which includes understanding what truly matters in life.

The idea that universities might teach us how to live emerges occasionally during commencement addresses and graduation ceremonies.

Many universities were founded in the mid-19th century, a time when religious belief was declining, and there was a search for new sources of meaning and community.

Educators proposed that culture, through works like those of Plato, Shakespeare, and Austen, could replace the role that religion previously played in providing wisdom and community.

The concept that culture could replace scripture has influenced the construction of universities, museums, concert halls, and libraries.

There is a disconnect between the existential questions people might have and the typical university environment, which often seems abstract and detached from practical concerns.

In a typical university, asking profound questions about life's meaning and purpose may not be welcomed or addressed adequately by the faculty.

Current university departments are often organized around academic disciplines rather than the actual concerns and priorities of people's lives.

The humanities raise significant questions such as how to learn about relationships, reconcile financial demands with the search for meaning, and understand power dynamics, which are not well-addressed in universities.

The future ideal university would reorganize departments to reflect the true priorities of life, such as relationships, death, anxiety, and career self-knowledge.

Instead of studying historical periods or literary genres, students would study practical applications like reducing anxiety or increasing compassion.

Criticizing the current state of universities is not about giving up on them but rather an effort to fulfill their original promise of helping us live and die well.

The original promise of universities is to serve as centers for generating ideas that can truly aid in living a meaningful life, even in a busy, practical world.

The transcript challenges the reader to consider the role of universities beyond job preparation and to think about their potential in guiding a meaningful life.

The author suggests a shift from traditional academic structures to ones that are more aligned with the existential and emotional needs of individuals.

The discussion implies a need for universities to evolve and become more relevant to the personal and emotional challenges faced by students and society.