Humboldt and the Modern German University

An Intellectual History

Johan Östling author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Lund University Press,Sweden

Published:3rd Apr '18

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Humboldt and the Modern German University cover

This book is about the idea of the university in modern Germany. Its primary focus is how the Humboldtian tradition was transformed and how it gave direction to debates around higher education. By combining approaches from intellectual history, conceptual history and the history of knowledge, the study investigates the ways in which Humboldt’s ideas have been appropriated for various purposes in different historical contexts and epochs. Ultimately, it shows that Humboldt’s ideals are not timeless – they are historical phenomena and have always been determined by the predicaments and issues of the day. Nevertheless, many of the key concepts and fundamental ideas have endured throughout the twentieth century, though they have been interpreted in different ways.

An electronic edition of this book is freely available under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

'Sophisticated in its concepts and methods, lucid in its exposition, balanced and perceptive in its judgements, Johan Ostling's book exemplifies a new and rich approach to the history of universities.'
Peter Burke, Emeritus Professor of Cultural History, Emmanuel College, Cambridge

ISBN: 9789198376807

Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 19mm

Weight: 508g

312 pages