A Study On The Development Of University In Tudor England

The Tudor Dynasty(1485-1603)is an important link which effectively connected British ancient civilization with modern civilization,and perfect transformation of Britain’s University of Oxford and University of Cambridge under the social conflict has been finished in the Tudor Period.It is a good starting point for the modern universities.Therefore,to explore social attributes of Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Tudor times and to reveal these extensive and complex relations between the university and society,religion and monarchy,as well as what subjective and objective factors affect transformation of universities in Tudor times,became interesting questions which are worthy of studying.The development of the university in the Tudor has been caused by conflicts between kingship and magisterium.The Oxford and Cambridge universities have become the target of both sides to strive for and batter-field of conflict with the aim to end the transition in constant conflicts from medieval to modern university.According to Marx’s social conflict theory,the development of universities in Tudor period have experienced three stages:potential rival,public opposition and subsided conflict.The universities in Tudor times could be developed further during three stages due to its changes between productivity and production relations.Specific performance in these aspects such as agricultural productivity paved the way for Tudor’s economic development.business prosperity promoted the growth of the rising bourgeoisie,and development of world trade provided for achievement of primitive accumulation for capitalism.In Tudor times,the internals of Oxford and Cambridge universities have further developed.As for two universities.many colleges have newly built or rebuilt and embodied that the Royal and the representative of emerging bourgeoisie intended to propagate their religious thoughts through colleges so as to expand their influence along with cultivate political rulers and commercial professional talents.Libraries in two universities are predominantly occupied by a collection of Catholic books in the Medical times,while the Tudor has experienced severe shock and reconstruction.In the coming years.with the tendency of books donation,the libraries gradually possessed a large scale of collection,meanwhile its content were enriching.As a result,the Royal had eventually achieved the control of managing universities in the conflict against the Catholic,including two levels of power,including management and finance in corresponding universities.After the Reformation the Royal had reformed teaching content and curriculum in universities for several times,which made universities became more and more modern.Specifically,colleges in this times had become teaching centers in universities,along lectures and debates with more practical and actual function,and courses of grammar doctor profession based on old traditional reflected the tend to secularization simultaneously,meanwhile,it had more perfect and strict system for degree application.Teachers and students were two principal components of university operating system,and they received the privilege or protection of Royal in this period.Compared to the medieval times,teachers’ status had improved,though it was still difficult to strive in two sides’ conflicts,and their label had transformed from "God’s mouthpiece" to "people builder".With the growing amount of students,the gap between rich and poor had also been expanded and richness of recreational activities among students reflected profound influence of the humanism,while students had devoted themselves to chase priest then to secular power.In conclusion,based on universities in the Tudor times,from the perspective of the conflicts and reality,it could have a deep understanding internal relations between British social economic,culture,religious,secular power and development and change of two universities.The dominant thought of this paper is to analyze and summarize characteristics and historical influence in the development of Britain’s universities.