[New Entry by Jacob T. Levy on October 17, 2026.]
The organizational form that came to be called “universities” developed over the course of the 11th – 13th centuries in western Europe. From an early date they differed from other forms of educational institutions such as cathedral schools by virtue of their corporate self-governance, a degree of independence from both the Catholic Church and political authorities. That degree varied and was always contested, but the normative commitment to it (and willingness to…

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