venuti

120 The Translator’s Invisibilitythe aim of education was to foster liberal democracy. In his lectureOn the Relations of Free Knowledge to Moral Sentiment, he argued thatthe study of “political economy” teaches a respect for culturaldifferences that militates against imperialism, nationalism, andclass domination:political economy has demonstrated that the laws which moralitywould dictate as just are also the laws of physical well being fornations and for classes; that no cunning regulations will enable aState to prosper at the expense of foreigners; and that the interests ofclasses and of nations are so knit up, that one cannot permanentlybe depressed without injury to others. It rescues the patriot from thetemptation of being unjust to the foreigner, by proving that that doesnot conduce to the welfare of his own people.(Newman 1847b:18–19)Newman similarly urged the study of history, literary as well aspolitical, because it can “deepen our knowledge of mankind, and ourinsight into social and political interests” (ibid.:8). Here too the“practical uses” of this knowledge required the recognition of culturaldifferences. In Four Lectures on the Contrasts of Ancient and ModernHistory, Newman granted the central metaphysical assumption ofEnlightenment humanism—“The whole interest of History dependsupon the eternal likeness of human nature to itself”—but only to giveit a more materialist revision, mindful of historical change: “it isequally needful to be aware of the points at which similarity ceases,and contrast begins; otherwise our applications of history to practicaluses will be mere delusive pedantry” (Newman 1847a:5–6).Newman’s “practical” concept of education led him to criticizeacademic specialization because it decreased the social value ofknowledge. In his Introductory Lecture to the Classical Course atManchester New College, he asserted thatwe do not advocate any thing exclusive. A one-sided cultivation mayappear at first like carrying out the principle of division of labour,yet in fact it does not tend even to the general benefit and progressof truth, much less to the advantage of the individual.(Newman 1841:7)Although intended to justify the place of classics in an academiccurriculum, Newman’s lecture attacked the scholarly disdain of