Comment Robert M. Pirsig's view on a university (Score 1) 654
When seing "my college doesn't teach me anything useful" debates, I am always reminded of Robert M Pirsig's description of a university in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:
The real University, he said, has no specific location. It owns no property, pays no salaries and receives no material dues. The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location. It's a state of mind which is regenerated throughout the centuries by a body of people who traditionally carry the title of professor, but even that title is not part of the real University. The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself.
What you IMHO should learn in university is to become part of that great heritage of rational thought. Or as other poster's have described it: "To learn how to learn".
PS. Great book BTW. It's really worth a read.
PPS. This might be a bit lofty view, when you have to get up at eight in the morning to go to classes ;)
The real University, he said, has no specific location. It owns no property, pays no salaries and receives no material dues. The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location. It's a state of mind which is regenerated throughout the centuries by a body of people who traditionally carry the title of professor, but even that title is not part of the real University. The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself.
What you IMHO should learn in university is to become part of that great heritage of rational thought. Or as other poster's have described it: "To learn how to learn".
PS. Great book BTW. It's really worth a read.
PPS. This might be a bit lofty view, when you have to get up at eight in the morning to go to classes
