Knowledge and Nation (Edinburgh Education and Society)

This study explores the links between knowledge (science, technology and things which are learnt) and nation (culture and the things which have to be accepted as given). Its theme is the tension between reason and expertise on one hand, and experience and custom on the other. It describes the historical shape of modern European culture in general, with profiles of the prominent thinkers of each age. The relationship between knowledge, culture and the modern university is explored with a detailed look at the problems caused by the 20th century's notion of "mission" in higher education. Finally, it gives a portrait of modern Britain as a country with a strong sense of tradition, but gradually losing its national identity and its vital connections with the past.