French Universities and the
Pursuit of Freedom

PIERRE DONZELOT
 

ON THE occasion of the celebration of the Bicentennial
of Columbia University, the universities of France join
in presenting an exhibition illustrating how, continu¬
ously throughout their history, they have been among the most
steadfast supporters of liberty. The exhibition will be on view in
Butler Library from October 15 through December 10.

Historically, the double mission of the French universities has
been not only the spreading of learning but the strengthening of
the conscience of free men. A system of education which would
remain the privilege of a few rather than the sanctuary of a whole
nation would be an absurdity: in France the university has not
ceased to struggle that her doors be opened wide to all classes of
society. On the other hand, the university has the task of enlight¬
ening the minds of those who, despite political and social upheaval,
remain the guardians of the ideal of liberty, ready to oppose
tyranny regardless of the form of its appearance. A longstanding
trait of the French universities has been their opposition to all
interference of political authority: it would be a misunderstanding
to assume that they do not consider their autonomy to be the
greatest prize because of the fact that they are under a centralized
administration and to a considerable extent are standardized. This
exhibition, the theme of which is "freedom of thought," empha¬
sizes all the proud manifestations of independence of the univer¬
sities to outside pressures, from the Middle Ages to the present.
Another idea exemplified here, \\hich we sometimes have a tend¬
ency to underestimate, is that no matter how great and impressive
their tradition, the universities of France have not remained fixed