Il natural desiderio di sapere - Pontifical Academy of Sciences

ON THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE 125subject to so many obstacles without remedy, seeing that there are somany orders and assemblies addressed to other ends and ideas.It certainly cannot be denied that the public Universities or Academiesand the Colleges and Seminaries have had this objective in part and likewisethe private Academies, but, however, they have neither provided forit sufficiently nor pursued those advances that their institutors pretended,giving in for the most part to current abuses and more common ends ashas been said above. Because these assemblies 66 are not inclined towardthe perfection of doctrine nor have that strength of union which such workrequires; all the instruction in them is accomplished with the course andthe lessons and terminates in the doctorate, and both the auditors and thelectors 67 ordinarily confess that in study 68 nothing is apprehended otherthan the first terms and rules, or better the way and method of studyingand opening the books, and in this way they excuse the din of the uncivilapplause and of the bells and hooting with which the lesson is usuallyaccompanied when to the scarce appetite of the students it appears to betoo long, something that generally happens daily. Nor, however, is it seenthat, having apprehended such principles, one goes ahead in his studies,but rather in the economically fruitful occupations and in the stipends towhich the magisterial degree opens the door. The Seminars and Colleges,which provide in large part for living necessities and give good amenitiesfor retreat, also dismiss upon attainment of the degree, at the end of thecourse; likewise academic conferences and exercises, which are onlypreparation to such accomplishment, are merely a further administeringand solemnizing of those same first precepts. There remain a very fewAcademies of belles letters (as they say) that go on indefinitely, in whichthere would be more than a little fruit if they pressed 69 with the choseneruditions 70 and in the good and useful of philology and poetry rather thansonnets, madrigals, funny tales and comedies, and more in rich and usefullessons than in vain and pompous gossip. But however, if and when evenall of these scholarly exercises were to proceed ahead, what of the philosophicaland mathematical ones? What aids, what unions are there forthem, that it need not be replicated that they are almost completely aban-66 Almost in the sense of universitates.67 Students and professors.68 In the universities.69 Insisted.70 Specialized subjects.