The Question of Wisdom in the Contemporary Academy

Abstract

The academy is often described as an institution in which experts in various disciplines pursue one or both of two main tasks: teaching and research. But what is the aim of research and what do professors teach students? The answer commonly given is knowledge. Of course, professors also research and teach other things, such as, methods of acquiring knowledge (as in science laboratory courses) and also, methods of expressing knowledge (as in English Composition). There are also some instructors, especially in the fine arts, who aim to cultivate artistic skill and creativity. Nevertheless, for the bulk of disciplines in both the sciences and humanities, most professors are inclined to say that the aim of academic teaching and research is the transmission and acquisition of knowledge.