The Western University on Trial

The Western University on Trial, edited by John W. Chapman, examines the moral, political, and intellectual crises facing higher education across Europe and North America. Originating in the deliberations of the International Council on the Future of the University, the volume gathers leading scholars to assess how universities—traditionally devoted to the pursuit of truth—have been destabilized by politicization, democratization, and declining professional standards. Contributors trace the history of the “university emergency” from student unrest in the 1960s to contemporary debates over tenure, academic freedom, research funding, and the proper relationship between universities and governments. Their shared concern is the erosion of competitive merit and intellectual autonomy, which they argue must remain the defining principles of the Western academic tradition.

Organized in three parts, the book moves from philosophical reflections on the university’s purpose to analyses of research policy and institutional organization, and finally to the practical challenge of restoring academic standards. Essays engage classic liberal thinkers such as Mill and Tocqueville while probing contemporary dilemmas ranging from grade inflation and faculty unionization to federal regulation and the pressures of vocationalism. Chapman’s introduction frames the volume around the concept of an “academic constitution”—a set of principles and procedures designed to safeguard intellectual progress against factionalism, political intrusion, and professional complacency. By diagnosing the trials of the Western university as both cultural and structural, The Western University on Trial offers not only a critique of current failures but also a prescription for constitutional renewal. It is an essential work for scholars, administrators, and policymakers concerned with the future of higher education.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983.