Discourse V: Knowledge its Own End
In Discourse V: Knowledge its Own End, John Henry Newman details the greatness and opportunity a University education has to offer. “It is a great point then to enlarge the range of studies which a University professes, even for the sake of the students; and, though they cannot pursue every subject which is open to them, they will be the gainers by living among those and under those who represent the whole circle.” Newman is basically saying that although it is unfortunate that students cannot dabble in every subject available to them, being absorbed in a learning environment is beneficial to the student and their own success. “An assemblage of learned men, zealous for their own sciences, and rivals of each other, are brought, by familiar intercourse and for the sake of intellectual peace, to adjust together the claims and relations of their respective subjects of investigation. They learn to respect, to consult, and to aid each other. Thus is created a pure and clear atmosphere of thought, which the student also breathes, though in his own case he only pursues a few sciences out of the multitude.” Being a part of such environment benefits a person, even after leaving the university, a person leaves the University with feeling of “freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation, and wisdom.” which are invaluable tools and characteristics that will benefit an individual throughout their life, both personally, and professionally. Newman argues, as in the title, that knowledge is its own end. It is this way because a student’s education is what they choose the make of it, and to choose a University education means to choose a higher education that will present student with knowledge in multiple subjects to make them a well-rounded individual.
