What is the fundamental purpose of a university? The very word “university” offers a profound clue, stemming from the Latin “universitas,” signifying “the whole, everything, the universe.” This etymological root reveals that a university is intended to be more than just an institution with diverse departments and programs. It is, at its heart, a unified entity where each member participates in a shared quest for truth and knowledge, recognizing the interconnectedness of all disciplines. Within a true university, a historian can glean insights from a geologist, a neurologist can find common ground with a musicologist, and even a first-year student is encouraged to question and challenge the most experienced faculty members. Here, individuals from varied backgrounds and with differing viewpoints should be able to engage in thoughtful discussions and debates, exchanging ideas without resorting to personal attacks or exclusion.
This ideal – this potential – is what makes universities truly remarkable places. However, the modern university sometimes seems to drift from this foundational purpose. Instead of fostering a community of learners united by intellectual curiosity, universities can risk becoming perceived as collections of competing interest groups, overseen by a large administrative structure. Furthermore, campuses can become stages for political battles imported from the outside world. While politics is a legitimate subject of study within the university, it should not dictate the institution’s core functions. When political advocacy and partisanship overshadow the pursuit of knowledge, the university risks losing its essential identity and purpose. This deviation from the core mission can be seen as a root cause of unrest and dissatisfaction within university settings, implicitly asking, Why Are Universities Protesting – even if the protest isn’t always explicitly in the streets, but in the form of intellectual and philosophical unease.
The true essence of a university lies in its role as a community of learners, guided by what we can call the spirit of inquiry. This spirit is fueled by genuine curiosity and encompasses a range of intellectual habits. It’s a spirit that embraces persistent questioning, even when it challenges those who claim to have definitive answers. It thrives on meaningful conversation, understood as an exchange of thoughts rather than a competition to dominate. The spirit of inquiry is characterized by an awareness of one’s own ignorance, recognizing that the more we learn, the more we realize the vastness of what we don’t know. It cultivates the skill of patient and attentive listening, carefully considering ideas and arguments before reacting. Crucially, it embodies the practice of self-reflection and the willingness to re-examine even deeply held beliefs, whether they stem from ideology, religion, or culture. In the words of Judge Learned Hand, it is “the spirit which is not too sure that it is right,” a spirit that welcomes being proven wrong as an opportunity for further learning and growth. This spirit of intellectual humility and open-mindedness is vital to addressing the underlying tensions that might lead one to ask, why are universities protesting, and to finding constructive paths forward.
