Knowledge, economy, and university in the south of Europe at the end of the eighteenth century. The case of Salamanca and Coimbra

Abstract

In this paper, we will try to analyze the reforms of philosophy curricula at the Universities of Salamanca and Coimbra, and their connection to the economic development of their respective economies. We will demonstrate how this reform altered curricular contents with the purpose of guaranteeing a formation that could potentiate a better exploitation of the natural resources, mainly of their colonies. In this logic, the most emblematic disciplines were natural history, botany and chemistry. However, factors external to these educational reforms demonstrated their limits. We speak of a lack of jobs for philosophers (and mathematicians), but also a decline in national economies.