The Sorbonne – When a University Becomes a Place of Ignorance and Extremism

We have all watched with great shock the pro-Hamas riots at Ivy League universities in the US and have seen students and lecturers adopt truly anti-Semitic positions, out of ignorance and extremism. Some of you may have thought this was a one-time phenomenon, but today let me show you that academic institutions, despite their image as places where respectful dialogue takes place between people with different opinions, can actually be a home to ignorance, collaboration with the enemy, extremism and hatred. And what better example to show this than the Sorbonne?

If we look at the long history of the institution, which was founded in the 1st century, we will discover that over the years, the lecturers and students justified the murder of a duke, participated in the trial that led to the burning of Joan of Arc, fought against the Enlightenment movement and, in short, never missed a single opportunity to be on the wrong side of history.

The story of the Sorbonne University

The Sorbonne in the Middle Ages: The University Recommends Burning Joan of Arc

Let's begin our journey through time by debunking a myth. Although the name Sorbonne has long been synonymous with the university of ParisThis is not the first academic institution in the City of Lights. Theology began to be taught in Paris as early as the 9th century, and over the centuries that followed, theology was taught there by people like Saint Anselm and Pierre Abelard, who is better known to us. From his tragic love story with Eloise.

In 1257, Robert de Sorbonne, the confessor of King Louis IX (9-1226), sought to establish an academic institution where poor scholars could study for free (those who were not poor enough to qualify for a scholarship had to pay 1270 sous per week).

After receiving the king's blessing and funding, the Sorbonne became one of the colleges affiliated with the University of Paris. However, over the years, the Sorbonne gained importance until it broke away from the University of Paris and eventually "swallowed" it into itself, so that the word Sorbonne became synonymous with the university of the capital of the kingdom. France.

The reason for the growth of the Sorbonne during the Middle Ages was due to the academic excellence of both the lecturers and the students at the institution and the fact that it was one of the first institutions that not only taught but also awarded degrees (the theses submitted at the Sorbonne for the purpose of obtaining the degree became exemplary works and an academic ideal in other universities). However, starting in the mid-14th century, politics began to penetrate the walls of the academic institution and, as you will see, this led to the moral and later academic decline of the institution.

The first time the university leaders took a political stand was during the rebellion of the first mayor of Paris, Étienne Marcel, against the heir apparent Charles, the future King Charles V (5-1364).

A delegation of senior lecturers was not lazy and produced an indictment accusing Joan of Arc of heresy and witchcraft, and went to present it to the Duke of Bedford, who was acting as the de facto ruler of France on behalf of the King of England.

The Sorbonne fought against the Enlightenment

The leaders of the University of Paris continued in the following years to denounce and call for the murder of anyone who did not agree with them politically or religiously. During the 16th century, the Sorbonne sided with the Catholic League and Spain, which supported it (including supporting the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, in which thousands of Protestants were murdered by Catholics).

The Sorbonne reached its peak when its leaders issued an article in which they offered the crown of France to King Philip II of Spain (1556-1598) on condition that it did not fall into the hands of Henry of Navarre (the future Henry IV, the greatest of the kings of France). Therefore, it is not surprising that quite a few lecturers at the Sorbonne supported the assassination of that king in 4.

During the reign of Henry IV's son, Louis XIII (4-13), the crown succeeded in subduing the university's leaders and ending their political involvement. The person who actually did this was Richelieu, the French king's prime minister, who, by investing considerable funds in the institution, became its official patron (the church in which he is buried even became the symbol of the Sorbonne).

For a time, the Sorbonne's leaders stopped engaging in politics and began to concentrate on academic research. However, it wasn't long before the leaders of the University of Paris found themselves a new enemy in the form of the Enlightenment movement. The first to suffer under their yoke was the famous philosopher Descartes, and a century later the university leaders were already furiously opposing Montesquieu's "Spirit of the Laws," the books of the famous naturalist Buffon, and the famous Enlightenment thinkers Diderot and Rousseau.

The Sorbonne was best defined at that time by Sébastien Mercier, who wrote, “If the French Academy is the seat of academic tyranny, then the Sorbonne is the seat of ignorance, superstition, and madness.” It is therefore not surprising that a year after the outbreak of the French Revolution They decided in France that there was no need for a university that opposed the Enlightenment, and closed it.

Speaking of the 18th century, if you want to know what the Sorbonne University looked like at that time, you are welcome to take a look at this video:

In 1821, during the Restoration, the King of France reopened the Sorbonne. But the new university bore no resemblance to that fanatical institution whose leaders were busy trying to eliminate all who thought differently.

The Sorbonne transformed from an institution that taught mainly theology and philosophy (or, for short, the humanities), to an academic institution that also taught the natural sciences. The result was the rise of the Sorbonne and its transformation into a first-rate academic institution thanks to eminent researchers such as the naturalists of the Saint-Hilaire family, the chemist Gay-Lussac, and others.

The Aftermath: The Sorbonne Shows Other Universities the Way Back to the Middle Ages

The Sorbonne continued to function as a serious academic institution throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (excluding the German occupation, of course). However, starting in the 60s, the Sorbonne began to return at an alarming rate to the days of dogmatism and intolerance for other opinions.

The new religion was Marxism in its many forms, combined with postmodernism, and later also the cult of political correctness. True, the University of Paris was not the only place where these ideologies flourished, but there is no doubt that the professors who taught there, such as Derrida, and the student uprising that broke out there in 1968, made the Sorbonne a central place for the dissemination of these ideologies.

The result was not long in coming, and slowly the faculties of humanities and social sciences in a significant part of the universities in the world (not only in France) became places where there was hardly any academic debate in the spirit of the Enlightenment movement, but rather a war against anyone who did not think like them. Thus the universities went back in time and turned from centers of education, knowledge and research into centers of violence, ignorance and support for dark forces.

We saw the results of all this immediately after October 7th…

Le Sorbonne: Tourist Information

Is it possible to visit the Sorbonne University?

Despite everything I have written, it is definitely worth visiting the Sorbonne complex because of its impressive architecture. Unfortunately, most of the year you cannot visit the magnificent buildings of the Sorbonne University, unless you are a lecturer or a student. However, during Heritage Days (Heritage Days), held in September each year, the university opens its doors and allows people to visit within its walls and the church where Richelieu is buried.

How to get to the Sorbonne?

The simplest way is to take Metro Line number 10 and get off at the Cluny – La Sorbonne station. Another option is to take the RER B and get off at the Luxembourg station and from there go down Boulevard Saint Michel until you see the Sorbonne on your right.

Is it recommended to live in the Sorbonne area?

The unequivocal answer is: Yes!

The Latin Quarter is one of the most central and charming places in Paris and as such it is an excellent base for trips throughout the city. You will find quite a few restaurants, cafes, parks and metro stations there that will take you wherever you want. In short: it is no wonder that quite a few Francophiles like Yoel Tammanlis like to live not far from the Sorbonne whenever they come to Paris.

If you are interested in living there, I recommend looking for a hotel or vacation apartment in the 5th district or in the eastern part of the XNUMXth district. If you are looking for recommendations for two-apartment hotels, you can find them in the following articles:

• Hotels in Paris (recommended hotels in every district and for every budget)
• Apartments for rent in Paris – recommendations for great vacation apartments

What else can you see not far from the Sorbonne?

Have you visited the Sorbonne and are you looking for interesting places nearby? I recommend you visit the page Latin Quarter – Tourist Information And there you will find travel itineraries and recommendations for attractions that are not far from the Sorbonne.