《TheAimofaUniversityEducation》-----byJohnHenryNewman

　　Ifthenapracticalendmustbeassignedtoauniversitycourse,Isayitisthatoftraininggoodmembersofsociety.Itsartisthesociallife,anditsendisfitnessfortheworld.

　　Itneitherconfinesitsviewstoparticularprofessionsontheonehand,norcreatesheroesorinspiresgeniusontheother.Workersindeedofgeniusfallundernoart;heroicmindscomeundernorule;auniversityisnotabirthplaceofpoetsorofimmortalauthors,offoundersofschools,orleadersofcolonies,orconquerorsofnations.

　　ItdoesnotpromiseagenerationofAristotlesorNewtons,ofNapoleonsorWashingtons,ofRaphaelsorShakespears,thoughsuchmiraclesofnatureithasbeforenowcontainedwithinitsprecincts.Norisitcontentontheotherhandwithformingthecriticortheexperimentalist,theeconomistortheengineer,althoughsuchtooitincludeswithitsscope.

　　Butauniversitytrainingisthegreatordinarymeanstoagreatbutordinaryend;itaimsatraisingtheintellectualtoneofsociety,atcultivatingthepublicmind,atpurifyingthenationaltaste,atgivingenlargementandsobrietytotheideaoftheage,atfacilitatingtheexerciseofpoliticalpower,andrefiningtheintercourseofprivatelife.

　　Itistheeducationwhichgivesamanaclear,consciousviewsofhisownopinionsandjudgments,atruthindevelopingthem,aneloquenceinexpressingthem,andaforceinurgingthem.Itteacheshimtoseethingsastheyare,togorighttothepoint,todisentangleaskeinofthought,todetectwhatissophistical,andtodiscardwhatisirrelevant.Itprepareshimtofillanypostwithcredit,andtomasteranysubjectwithfacility.

　　Itshowshimhowtoaccommodatehimselftoothers,howtothrowhimselfintotheirstatofmind,howtobringbeforethemhisown,howtoinfluencethem,howtocometoanunderstandingwiththem,howtobearwiththem.

　　Heisathomeinanysociety;hehascommongroundwitheveryclass;heknowswhentospeakandwhentobesilent;heisalsotoconverse;heisabletolisten;hecanaskaquestionpertinently,andgainalessonseasonably,wherehehasnothingtoimparthimself;heiseverready,yetneverintheway;heisapleasantcompanion,andacomradeyoucandependupon;heknowswhentobeseriousandwhentotrifle,andhehasasuretactwhichenableshimtotriflewithgracefulnessandtobeseriouswitheffect.Hehasthereposeofamindwhichlivesinitself,whileitlivesintheworld,andwhichserveshiminpublic,andsupportshiminretirement,withoutwhichgoodfortuneisbutvulgar,andwithwhichfailureanddisappointmenthaveacharm.

　　Theartwhichtendstomakeamanallthis,isintheobjectwhichitpursuesasusefulastheartofwealthortheartofhealth,thoughitislesssusceptibleofmethod,andlesstangible,lesscertain,lesscompleteintheitsresult.