Microcosmographia Academica
Encyclopedia
Microcosmographia Academica, literally meaning "A Study of a Tiny Academic World" in Greek
, is a short pamphlet
on university
politics
written by F. M. Cornford
and published in 1908. It has acquired a small cult following as a pessimistic view of academic politics presented in a readable and lively style. However, the pamphlet is best known for its discussion of such things as "The Thin End of The Wedge" and "The Dangerous Precedent
":
Although it was written for an audience familiar with the procedures of the University of Cambridge
at the turn of the twentieth century, Microcosmographia Academica could apply to any political system and is reminiscent of the British television comedy Yes Minister
; a portion of the dialogue in one episode of that programme, "Doing the Honours", closely follows Cornford's text.
Gordon Johnson included Microcosmographia Academica in his short book about the politics of the University of Cambridge
, and the original text is preceded by a much longer description of the background against which Cornford was writing.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, is a short pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
on university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
written by F. M. Cornford
F. M. Cornford
Francis Macdonald Cornford was an English classical scholar and poet.He was educated at St Paul's School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was a Fellow from 1899 and held a university teaching post from 1902...
and published in 1908. It has acquired a small cult following as a pessimistic view of academic politics presented in a readable and lively style. However, the pamphlet is best known for its discussion of such things as "The Thin End of The Wedge" and "The Dangerous Precedent
Precedent
In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
":
- The Principle of the Dangerous Precedent is that you should not now do an admittedly right action for fear you, or your equally timid successors, should not have the courage to do right in some future case, which, ex hypothesi, is essentially different, but superficially resembles the present one. Every public action which is not customary, either is wrong, or, if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. It follows that nothing should ever be done for the first time.
Although it was written for an audience familiar with the procedures of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
at the turn of the twentieth century, Microcosmographia Academica could apply to any political system and is reminiscent of the British television comedy Yes Minister
Yes Minister
Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
; a portion of the dialogue in one episode of that programme, "Doing the Honours", closely follows Cornford's text.
Gordon Johnson included Microcosmographia Academica in his short book about the politics of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, and the original text is preceded by a much longer description of the background against which Cornford was writing.
External links
- Online copy of Microcosmographia Academica
- Downloadable PDF version