The Idea of the University and the Concept of “Useful” Knowledge

Since the foundation of the Western modern university in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there has always been debate on the purpose and social or political utility of scientific knowledge. The question remains as to what we consider as ‘useful knowledge’ to be (Flexner, 1939; Gibbons et al., 1994). The purpose of this paper is to explore and propose an alternative conception of scientific knowledge usefulness, advocating for a balanced approach between direct and indirect utility of knowledge in higher education. To this end, the paper revisits Mill’s (1859) conception of epistemic utility as explained in his work On Liberty to present an idea of scientific knowledge usefulness which is utilitarian in a broader sense. Building on this foundation, the paper promotes a pluralistic conception of epistemic utility and suggests a typology by discerning between direct and indirect utility of knowledge. Overall, by revisiting Mill’s (1859) notion of utility, this paper aims to demonstrate that the notion of ‘utility’ is not only a function that serves the Idea of the University, but it is also linked to the notion of ‘self-development’—Bildung. In that sense, one can make the case for a broader and more complex scientific utilitarianism.

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