Meaning of academicism: its pros and cons

George Alvarez 18-10-2023
George Alvarez

Have you ever encountered someone in class who used an extremely far-fetched vocabulary for their age? Or, in a casual conversation, had to deal with someone who uses a lot of jargon that is inappropriate for the moment? You probably wondered about the motivations for someone to act this way. In today's article academicism is a central topic and we will discuss issues like this.

If you have heard about academicism We will cover here the dictionary definition of this term, as well as explore its concept, and the pros and cons related to the topic.

Academicism according to the dictionary

We will start with the dictionary definition of the term, especially in view of those who have no idea what it means. For starters, academicism is a masculine noun. This word has its origin in the joining of academic + ism Among the definitions of the term, we find:

  • Academic Conduct ;
  • O behavior of the person who is part of the academy ;
  • O way of acting of those who seem to belong to the academia;
  • Tendency to worry about speculative issues or the details of a certain question;
  • Respect for or obedience to the traditional precepts of a field of knowledge.

Finally, academicism Remember that, in this case, we are not talking about a gym in the sense of a place for physical exercise. It is academia as far as the university world is concerned, where there is the practice of research and the development of science.

What is Academicism

To put what we have just said into context, keep in mind that the academicism originally designates the method of professional art education conceived, formalized, and taught by European art academies.

It originated in Italy in the mid-16th century. This method influenced the entire Western world for several centuries. In addition, impacted many non-Western societies because of the conquests of colonialism.

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However, even with the impact, the related terms are not applied equally in all areas. In some, it refers to the version of the method consolidated in the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture of France, which was founded in Paris in 1648 by a group of painters led by Charles Le Brun.

In this context, Le Brun imposed a strongly systematic, hierarchical and orthodox pedagogy. This French proposal was successful and became the model for the foundation of countless other art colleges. It was even of great importance for the evolution of the baroque, neoclassical and part of the romantic currents.

On the other hand, other contemporary writers preferred to use the term to describe a particular style. This, in turn, would have been born in the circles of the academies or through their influence, also called academic art or academic style.

Finally, many authors refer especially to the art produced in the academies. Researchers mainly focus on the effects of the academic model on the visual arts, especially painting.

The academicism of academia

As we said, the term has taken on different meanings in different contexts. academicism is also related to what is done inside the academy and even to the way people behave. In this way, it includes the way one speaks, projects, and behaves in general.

For example, when a person speaks using many terms, he is being academicist The big problem is, one limits one's audience, after all, not everyone knows the terms. Therefore, it is possible to establish a relationship with what we said above, in the first paragraph. Some people exaggerate this behavior.

Problems of Academicism

In addition to what we have already mentioned, academicism does not produce rapprochement, since the excessive use of lines and practices demonstrates a certain pedantry. In addition, it distances society from academia and from what is produced. Thus, an aversion to academia and everything that comes from it can even occur.

Besides this social issue, the academicism In this kind of teaching, there is little cooperation between students and teacher, so the teacher will always be in a superior position, and students are expected to only reproduce what the teacher says. Rarely will one have the opportunity for effective questioning and participation.

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The class always starts the same way, has a reserved time, and everything is coldly programmed In this way, the student often does not really learn the content, but only memorizes it.

The pros of academicism

Despite the prejudice that has been established against academicism, There is a force of approach on the part of some students. There is an attempt to open up the universities to society.

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Furthermore, it is important to say that, regardless of social acceptance, the academy continues to produce. This production can be directed to various social areas. In other words, academic research helps society to solve its questions.

Another question has to do directly with the academicism of art. For, despite time, diffusion, and then prejudice, it remains to this day.

With this part of the post, what we want to make clear is that in itself, academic practice has nothing to do with the practice of academicism. Within the space of the classroom, the laboratory, and scientific conferences, indicating that you are an excellent scholar is part of what is expected of a good professional in the field.

However The choice to go beyond the boundaries of academia is commonly understood by others as a sign of pedantry. Whether at home, with family, or at an informal gathering with friends, excessive academicism is something that does not go down well.

If you pain an individual concerned about the messages your behavior sends to other people, know that this is a good one to avoid, When interacting informally with someone, do it completely. Not necessarily being an academic makes you admirable in the eyes of others. It's better to blend in than to be the dullard of the group.

Final comments: academicism

We have seen in this post that academicism We have also seen that, for example, abusing this practice can be extremely harmful to human relationships.

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This is because academicism But even if this is true, one cannot live without the other. Whether through research, or investments, or positioning, or teaching, this academic dependence remains in contexts that don't always need to be discussed with literally everyone.

That is, there are complicated points in academicism To know how to deal with the positive and negative issues of such behavior, as well as to understand its roots, it is worth taking a good course in Psychoanalysis. We offer a great training in EAD Clinical Psychoanalysis totally online. Check our contents, enroll and become a psychoanalyst!

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.