Has Trinity lost its way?

Reyno

I'm posting this here as I feel it's relevant to UCD as well

In the past Trinity used to be a bastion of tradition and would only teach the most rigorous and rarefied of subjects, recognising the academic needs of the brightest young minds of the country. Nowadays there's all kind of outrage out there at 'Mickey Mouse' courses such as Golf Course Management where students can go out and get a degree in something that really should be a vocational course or something learnt on the job.

As a traditionalist I have a lot of sympathy for this approach, after all universities and academic courses are better for some things while vocational schools, apprenticeships and polytechnics are better for others. The thing is, no one seems to be willing to take a proper look at Trinity itself, perhaps assuming that its old buildings somehow shield it from the onrushing plague of modernity.

The university's limited resources and places are being taken up by ridiculous courses such as 'Computer Sciences', 'Oriental Studies', 'Human Sciences' and 'Experimental Psychology'. Just looking at the names of these courses tells you how ridiculous they are, it's well known that courses which have to put 'sciences' or 'studies' in the title are academically lacking.

I propose that the university should return to its roots and offer only the study of Classics, Theology and Philosophy. These provide firm intellectual roots for intelligent individuals to go on to be gentlemen (and women - some aspects of modernity are positive!) of leisure. Other subjects should be left to the toilers of this world, base in intellect but useful in their actions.

The other arts subjects are mere fripperies designed to excite the withered intellects of the chattering classes after a long day in middle management. History for example, what point does it have beyond titillation?

The sciences', medicine's and engineering's proper places are in technical schools and apprenticeships. While they are vital to the smooth running of our country, to claim that they involve any intellectual capacity requires a stunning level of ignorance. Like being a government bureaucrat, the scientist is given a task performs that task and then reports observations. It requires only a steady hand and keen eye.

Languages can of course be learnt by going to the relevant country, I see no reason why places for philosophy students should be lost in favour of linguists.

I'll concede that mathematics might have a place within the university.


To conclude, I propose that those subjects inappropriate to Trinity's nature, as outlined above, be moved to UCD or DCU which as more modern universities are undoubtedly more suited in those areas and can provide better for those types of students.

Red Alert

Banned for a week since Cross posting on multiple forums is not allowed. I will leave the one on the TCD forum.