Ritið : tímarit Hugvísindastofnunar - 01.01.2011, Page 46

JÓN ÓLAFSSON
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careers where technical skills are rated much higher than classical education,
Taylor attacks academics for allowing the university to stagnate, gradually. Taylor
fears that the emphasis on research output, without proper consideration of its
usefulness both within the university and in general may lead to disdain for aca-
demia and academics. What Nussbaum sees as a threat to the traditional research
university, Taylor thus sees as a challenge. These two different points of view ref-
lect two different approaches to academia. They are both important and necessary
although opposed. The university is a place for specialized training and it must
produce specialists with powerful technical skills. It is also, however, a melting pot
of social, political and cultural discussion where the constant presence of profess-
ional conflict, competition and differing political outlooks is crucial. The univer-
sity looses most from attempts to narrowing down its mission. In a democratic
society it must be seen as a society within society, a collection of groups and indi-
viduals who cannot sharpen, clarify or define missions and goals as if the university
were a company producing or marketing goods and services. In order to protect
the university as a place of radicalism – innovation, criticism and creativity it must
be seen as an ambiguous phenomenon, not easily definable, not easily regulated
by external means.
Keywords: University, Academia, Humanities, Critical thinking, Radicalism.