The First Universities

ThisisageneralstudyofthedevelopmentofhighereducationinEuropefromantiquityuntiltheendoftheMiddleAges,setagainstabackgroundofthesocialandpoliticalhistoryoftheperiod.Itshowshowtheslendertraditionsofancientlearning,keptaliveinthemonasticandcathedralschools,wasenrichedbyanenormousinfluxofknowledgefromtheIslamicworldandhowinconsequencetheschoolsdevelopedintouniversities.Theseearlyinstitutionsareexaminedfromavarietyofpointsofview,asinstitutions,asplaceswhereideasspreadandaspointsofinteractionwithlocalandnationalauthority.Specialattentionispaidtoearlyintellectualhistoryandtothescientificdisciplinesandtotheeverydaylifeofthestudentsandtheirteachers.Thebookisintendedasabroadintroductiontothesubjectforstudentsofthehistoryofeducation,butitwillalsoattractgeneralreaderswithonlyaslightknowledgeofthesubject.