Education: Its Ethical Dimension and Metaphorical Visualisation in John Henry Newman’s The Idea of a University (1852)

Abstract

Almost two centuries ago, in his book The Idea of a University, Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–1890) formulated his vision of university education, given in the light of faith and catholic ethics. This paper attempts to frame Newman’s view of a university using the theory of conceptual metaphor as initially proposed by Lakoff and Johnson in their book Metaphors We Live By (cf. also Lakoff & Johnson 1999; Lakoff 1987, 1993; and Kövecses 2015; among others). In particular, the paper seeks to establish the main networks of implicational metaphors which, we believe, structure Newman’s idea of a university. Principally, there are three main networks of conceptual metaphors underlying our understanding of Newman’s vision of a university: life is a building; life is a living organism; and life is a journey. The paper deals only with the first network in greater detail. In the main metaphor life is a building, other metaphors referring to university are evoked, for example university is a place, field, shelter, an integrated system, a nation and a combination of colours; knowledge is a plant, a reward, good, freedom, power, treasure, art and beauty.