TY - JOUR AU - Jakob Egholm Feldt PY - 2024 CY - Berlin, Germany PB - Peter Lang Verlag JF - PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY IN HIGHER EDUCATION IS - 3 VL - 6 SN - 2578-5761 TI - The Role of Universities in the Creation of Communities of Inquiry: Nurturing Publics and Finding Common Ground DO - 10.3726/PTIHE.032024.0407 UR - https://www.peterlang.com/document/1519204 N2 - This paper explores the transformative potential of pedagogy in shaping universities as significant contributors to public goods, drawing on the perspectives of John Dewey, Bruno Latour, and Masschelein and Simons. Latour‘s assertion that pedagogy represents the frontline of transformative action underscores the imperative for universities to transcend utility-driven education. The paper advocates for embracing pedagogy as a collective endeavor that cultivates a public “power to study and think” (Masschelein and Simons), centering around authentic public concerns and challenging the prevailing trajectory of market-driven education. Guided by Civil Sphere Theory, the paper contends that public goods cannot be objectively defined but materialize through inquiry processes, communication, and deliberation—areas where universities can play a vital role. Given the potential for unprecedented change of our time, it is crucial for universities to reclaim their culture of experimentation and discovery, essential for their contributions to democratic deliberations on public goods. KW - Universities, public goods, pedagogy, civil sphere theory, John Dewey, Bruno Latour ER -