Liberal and Utilitarian Approaches in the Evolution of Ideas About the Mission of Universities

Abstract

This article discusses the scientific approaches to understanding the mission of universities at different stages in history and at present. The author aims to analyse the philosophical ideas on this issue from the point of view of the liberal and the pragmatic approaches, which are fundamentally shared by most researchers in their understanding of the purpose, essence and content of the university’s activities. Proponents of the liberal approach consider the key mission of the university to be the search for pure knowledge that enriches the individual and gives him/her a reason for self-improvement. Within the framework of the utilitarian approach, the task of universities is to ensure technical progress and commercialize knowledge in close connection with economic institutions. This is becoming relevant in the context of the information society, which has replaced the post-industrial society and whose main value is information based on knowledge. Having traced the evolution of views on the role and place of mediaeval, pre-classical, classical and post-classical universities in the society, the author considers the contemporary models of their transformation (entrepreneurial, research, innovation, remote, network,
and corporate). It is concluded that most models of university development today operate within the framework of the utilitarian approach, which limits the scope of their tasks, leaving highly important issues of fundamental research out of the spotlight. According to the author, the work of universities has to integrate the two approaches either by creating a new model that combines them or by functionally separating universities within the existing models, distinguishing between those prioritising the liberal values of education and those focusing on utilitarian tasks.