PARIS, UNIVERSITY or. One of the oldest and largest universities in the world. It had its in ception in the schools of Notre-Dame. Sainte Genevieve, and Saint Victor, and first comes into prominence about 1170. In the early Part of the twelfth century Paris was already the noted seat of a number of great masters, among whom were William of Champeaux and his pupil AbOard (q.v.). Thousands of scholars from all over Europe flocked to Paris. Hence arose the neces sity for common protection against the imposi tions of citizens and particularly against the chancellor of Notre Dame, who possessed the right to grant the 'license to teach' and thus con stituted the quasi head of the university, and from a mere association of masters there gradu ally developed a corporation with special rights and privileges. In 1200 Philip Augustus granted a charter conceding among other privileges the right of students to be tried hi an ecclesiastical court. In 1207 there is mention made of 'Com munitas Scholarium' and Tniversitas Magistro rum,' indicating a fully organized Studium Gen erale. The chancellor's power to grant licenses was somewhat neutralized by the custom of In ception, which obliged a 'candidate to deliver an inaugural address before being permitted to as sociate with the masters. In 1229 a bloody fight between students and citizens caused an emigra tion which greatly benefited Oxford. Two years later, however, Pope Gregory IX. came to the assistance of the university, and masters and scholars returned in large numbers. Popes Holm rius III. and Gregory IX., by siding with the mas ters in these disputes, acquired an enormous influ ence over the affairs of the university. The cor poration. which at first was nothing more than an I association of masters, now consisted of masters and scholars, although the right to vote was vest ed in the masters only. The university was divided into the superior faculties, viz. theology, medicine, and law, and the inferior faculty of arts ever, on account of the predominance of their number the rector of the faculty of arts became practically the head of the university in the four teenth century. The arts faculty was di vided into four nations: French. Pieards, Eng lish. and Normans. In the Congregations of the university there were seven voices, the nations controlling four and the other faculties three. In the middle of the thirteenth century the uni versity entered into a series of litigations with the aggressive Mendicants, who included among their teachers such men as Thomas Aqui nas, Alexander of Hales, and Saint lIonaven tura. They established three chairs in theology without taking the oath of obedience to the uni versity statutes. After a struggle of seven years
the Pope decided against the masters and the Mendicant scholars were placed on a basis of equality with the seculars. The contest with the Mendicants, however, was fortunate in that a series of 'colleges' or foundations modeled after those of the Orders where laymen could get lodg ing, care, and instruction were established. The most famous of these were the Sorbonne (q.v.), founded by Robert de Sorbon about 12.37, and the College of Navarre.
In the fonrteenth and fifteenth centuries the university attained its highest stage of develop ment. Princes and popes courted its favor, and followed the teachings of its famous theologians and jurists. It became the centre of the educated world. However, its conservative attitude toward the humanism of the fifteenth century; the civil wars; the constantly increasing centralization of the French Government, which crippled free uni versity life—all contributed toward the gradual decline of its fame. The theological faculties, owing to the establishment of the bishop semi naries, lost their prestige as educational institu tions, and degenerated into mere degree-confer ring bodies. The famous jurists also forsook Paris for the practical business of administra tion in the provinces. The faculties of arts and the colleges came to serve the purposes of second ary education. while most of the higher education fell into the hands of the Jesuits. who estab lished a number of colleges in France. The university never flourished again as during the medifeval period. Henceforth the great scholars of France were connected with the Academy. During the Revolution the university went down with the rest of the French universities. In 1808 Napoleon reorganized it as part of the University of France, and until 1S96 it was known as the Facultis de Paris. In 1902 it con sisted of the following faculties, school, and ad ministrative body: (1) The Conseil de l'univer site; (2) the Protestant theological faculty; (3) the medical faculty, including the Dupuytren, establiShed in 1835; (4) the law faculty; (5-6) faculties of science and letters at the Sorbonne; (7) the school of pharmacy.
The total attendance is over 12.000. The library contained, in 1902, -177.590 volumes, including 1590 manu,eript-. Consult: Jour/lain. ilistuire de l'unircrsite de Paris an Al hale Alct au ( Paris, ISti2-66) ; Budinszky, Die in l'aris und die Er(mden an di r sclben int ilittelultcr ( Berlin, 1S761 : and Denitle and ('hatelain, Chartularium ti airersitalis Purls iensis t Paris, 1Ss9 et seq.). See article 1.;:st VERSIT Y.