Where Should Academic Inquiry at a University Lead?
A university truly lives when its "contributions to scholarship are part of a comprehensive intellectual life; only then does this intellectual life become the university's inherent vitality." Here, scholarship is defined as "organized and systematic knowledge—its content is undeniably certain and possesses universal validity." In other words, scholarship is rooted in organized and systematic thought, and academic knowledge is self-evidently clear. Consequently, academic views must be universally valid. A university prioritizes scholarship because it "addresses the fundamental questions of human intellectual desire," and academic inquiry should be "guided by an internal intellectual longing for the root causes that encompass all disciplines." This is because "this is precisely the intellectual desire that scholarship requires absolutely."
Scholarship "liberates" us from our illusions and deceptive phenomena, helping us make the "clearest judgments regarding the human situation," and it "is based on and creates reliability." Therefore, "nothing that is not grounded in an academic attitude and way of thinking can be accepted as truth," and scholarship allows us to distinguish between "what we know and what we do not know."
Research, Teaching, and the Academic System
"The act of research and teaching academic disciplines shapes intellectual life and simultaneously signifies the spread of truth. Thus, universities recognize research, teaching, and education as their three most vital tasks." These tasks are indispensable and "serve as elements that further activate the integrated wholeness of the university." To "separate these goals is to destroy the very spirit of the university."
What matters in research is "not how much you know of what you've learned, but the ability to judge facts." "What we need is not knowledge itself, but the ability to recreate necessary knowledge through subjective judgment, and the ability to grasp the essence of facts and ask questions." Such knowledge is gained through "exposure to vibrant research" and is made possible by "personally researching extensive materials."
In lectures, the most important element is the "content," which becomes "clear when the professor indirectly mentions the entire background that motivates that content—everything that encompasses it." "University education should not be for a handful of geniuses or average students, but for those who truly possess an intellectual desire for scholarship, creative ability, and a need for instruction and growth."
Academic teaching at a university helps us "understand the source of knowledge based on what we know." It can be said that teaching broadens profound meanings and potential abilities. While everyone at a university "expects intellectual progress through diligent research," this is not always the case.
The University and the State
Universities strive to "search for truth and contribute to the cultivation of humanity and the progress of mankind." Regardless of how often the meaning of "humanity" has changed, it remains the "essence of the university." Thus, while a university "belongs to a nation, it strives to realize ideals that transcend the state." A professor engaged in research and teaching must "not represent the interests of the state but remain faithful only to the tasks given as a scholar and educator." Similarly, the state must "not demand from the university matters directly related to national politics." Furthermore, the state can never interfere with the content of teaching; since the state requires various professional groups, it must "take all measures to ensure the highest quality of education is received." It is only right that these plans are conceived by the university and merely approved by the state.
The Ideal University vs. Local Reality
"From an academic perspective, scholarship is more than just specialized knowledge and skill. This perspective also implies the ability to suspend subjective value judgments for the sake of objective knowledge. It is the ability to boldly block individual influence or partiality for the sake of fair data analysis. By doing so, we can not only obtain essentially fair knowledge but also escape the temptation of personal prejudice and finally be liberated from fanaticism and blindness. Recognizing our limitations—that we do not mean everything—makes it possible to maintain true objectivity. While it is impossible to experience the entire infinite world, that impossibility becomes the primary motivation to pursue transcendence. This academic perspective is more than the pursuit of limited knowledge; it is an education designed to form reason."
Through scholarship, we can obtain fair knowledge, escape the temptation of personal prejudice, and finally be liberated from fanaticism and blindness. We minimize emotion to make unbiased judgments, yet we still live in a society where discrimination and prejudice are rampant. We must admit that all the choices we make are emotional before they are rational. Furthermore, we should avoid seeing the world through a biased lens, follow laws and social order, but never entrust our lives to others when it comes to enjoying them. Since we have only one life, we are limited to experiencing others' lives indirectly and learning through empathy. It is difficult to fully understand something without experiencing it firsthand, but we can bridge this gap through academic study.
Scholarship is more than specialized knowledge and professional skill. We suspend subjective value judgments for objective knowledge and boldly cut out personal influence or partiality for fair data analysis. An academic perspective is something beyond the pursuit of limited knowledge. Scholarship must not stop at mastering a single discipline; it must reach new knowledge and wisdom based on that foundation. When we research based on what we have learned and view it from a new perspective, something that cannot be defined in words seeps into us. In whatever direction it may be, it will lead us to a better life.
Reference:
1. Karl Jaspers (1997). The Idea of a University. Hakjisa.