中世纪大学称谓的变迁

中世纪大学的称谓经过了从studium(学校)到studium generale(大学校),最终到universitas(大学)的变迁①。这种称谓的变迁,是中世纪大学机构自然演进的历程,同时也是大学师生积极争取学术自由探究权力的斗争历程。正是大学师生的努力,使得大学能够在中世纪的教会与世俗两大势力之间获得相对独立的地位,真正体现出大学作为一种知识机制本身所蕴含的社会意义。用来泛指大学师生整体的universitas因此成为自由探究知识的大学的最后的代名词。

The Changes of the Name for the Medieval Universities

The name of the medieval universities had undergone a long way from studium to studium generale, and finally we had universitas. It is the natural development of the university in the Middle Ages; moreover, it indicates the process of the scholars and students' struggles for academic freedom. Due to these struggles, the medieval universities established their relatively astronomical place between the Roman Church and the feudal hierarchy, which great power in the Christendom. The scholastic body with these astronomical spirits represents the true meaning of university as an academic system. Thus in the later Middle Ages the term universitas arose practically to denote this academic freedom.