The Sociology of Philosophies

TABLE 9.1.UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS AND FAILURES, 1000–1600

Total Italy France Britain

German Empire,

Scandinavia,

Low Countries Iberia

1000s
F  1
f  0
T  1M

F  1

1100s
F  6
f  17%
T  5M
1m

F  3

f  1

T  2M

1m

F  2

T  2M

F  1

T  1M

1200s
F  19
f  37%
T  12M
6m

F  8

f  3

T  4M

4m

F  5

f  2

T  4M

1m

F  1

T  2M

F  5

f  2

T  2M

1m

1300s
F  34
f  47%
T  18M
14m

F  15

f  12

T  4M

7m

F  5

f  1

T  5M

4m

F  1

f  1

T  2M

F  10

f  2

T  6M

2m

F  3

T  2M

3m

1400s
F  41
fa  48%
T  22M
34m

F  5

f  4

T  5M

7m

F  9

f  7

T  5M

6m

F  3

T  2M

3m

F  15

f  4

T  8M

11m

F  9

f  5

T  2M

7m

1500s
F  54
f  31%
T  23M
70m

F  5

f  2

T  4M

11m

F  4

f  1

T  4M

9m

F  2

T  3M

4m

F  18

f  2

T  9M

26m

F  25

f  12

T  3M

20m

Totals 1000–1600
F  155
f  39%

F  37

f  60%

F  25

f  44%

F  8

f  13%

F  43

f  19%

F  42

f  45%

Source: Collins, 1981, p. 517. From Rashdall, 1936; Shepherd, 1964: No. 100; The Cambridge Modern
History Atlas 1912, Map 9; Kagan (in Stone, 1974:355–405).
Notes: F  foundations; f  failures; T  total in existence at end of century; M  major universities;
m  minor universities.
a. Includes “paper universities” given legal charters, but which did not actually come into existence.
Rashdall (1936, Vol. II:325–331) lists 10 of these, mostly in the 1300s, and notes that his list is probably
very incomplete for the 1400s. Hence this failure rate is probably 10–15% too low.