the higher learning in america-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



which　might　be　taken　advantage　of　as　an　occasion　for　the　pooling



of　common　issues　among　the　universities；　might　hopefully　be



expected　to　be　welcomed　as　a　measure　of　present　relief　from　some



part　of　the　pecuniary　strain　under　which　they　are　now　working。



　　　　But　competition　is　well　ingrained　in　the　habitual　outlook　of



the　American　schools。　To　take　the　issue　to　neutral　ground；



therefore；　where　this　competitive　animus　may　hopefully　be　counted



on　to　find　some　salutary　abatement；　it　may　be　suggested　that　a



practicable　nucleus　for　this　proposed　joint　enterprise　can　well



be　found　in　one　or　another　　perhaps　in　one　and　another　　of



those　extra…academic　foundations　for　research　of　which　there



already　are　several　in　existence；　　as；　e。g。；　the　Carnegie



Institution。　With　somewhat　enlarged　powers；　or　perhaps　rather



with　some　abatement　of　restrictions；　and　with　such　additional



funds　as　may　be　required；　the　necessary　work　and　organization



should　readily　be　taken　care　of　by　such　an　institution。　Further



growth　and　ramification　would　be　left　to　future　counsel　and



advisement。



　　　　The　contemplated　enterprise　would　necessarily　require　a



certain　planning　and　organization　of　work　and　something　in　the



way　of　an　administrative　and　clerical　staff；a　setting　up　of



something　in　the　way　of　〃organization　tables〃；　but　there　can　be



no　question　of　offering　detailed　proposals　on　that　head　here。　Yet



the　caution　may　well　be　entered　here　that　few　specifications　are



better　than　many；　in　these　premises；　and　that　the　larger　the



latitude　allowed　from　the　outset；　the　fewer　the　seeds　of　eventual



defeat；　　as　is　abundantly　illustrated　by　contraries。



　　　　It　is　also　evident　that　such　an　enterprise　will　involve



provision　for　some　expenditure　of　funds；　presumably　a　somewhat



generous　expenditure；　which　comes　near　implying　that　recourse



should　be　had　to　the　public　revenues；　or　to　resources　that　may



legitimately　be　taken　over　by　the　public　authorities　from　private



hands　where　they　now　serve　no　useful　purpose。　There　are　many



items　of　material　resources　in　the　country　that　come　legitimately



under　this　head。　At　the　same　time　it　is　well　in　this　connection



to　call　to　mind　that　there　is　no　prospect　of　the　country's　being



in　any　degree　impoverished　in　the　course　of　the　war；　so　that



there　need　be　no　apprehension　of　a　shortage　of　means　for　the



carrying　on　of　such　an　enterprise；　if　only　the　available　sources



are　drawn　on　without　prejudice。　In　the　mind　of　any　disinterested



student　of　the　American　economic　situation；　there　can　be　no



serious　apprehension　that　the　American　people；　collectively；　will



be　at　all　worse　off　in　point　of　disposable　means　at　the　close　of



the　war　than　they　were　at　its　beginning；　quite　the　contrary　in



fact。　To　any　one　who　will　look　to　the　facts　it　is　evident　that



the　experience　of　the　war；　and　the　measures　taken　and　to　be



taken；　are　leading　to　a　heightened　industrial　productiveness　and



a　concomitant　elimination　of　waste。　The　resulting　net　gain　in



productive　efficiency　has　not　gone　at　all　far；　and　there　need　be



no　apprehension　of　its　going　to　great　lengths；　but；　for　more　or



less；　it　is　going　so　far　as　safely　to　promise　a　larger　net　annual



production　of　useful　goods　in　the　immediate　future　than　in　the



immediate　past；　and　the　disposable　means　of　any　people　is　always



a　matter　of　the　net　annual　production；　and　it　need　be　a　question



of　nothing　else。　The　manner　in　which　this　net　product　is；　and　is



to　be；　shared　among　the　classes　and　individuals　of　the　community



is　another　question；　which　does　not　belong　here。



　　　　A　question　of　graver　weight　and　of　greater　perplexity　touches



the　presumptive　attitude　of　the　several　universities　and　their



discretionary　authorities　in　the　face　of　any　proposed　measure　of



this　kind；　where　the　scope　of　the　enterprise　is　so　far　beyond



their　habitual　range　of　interest。　When　one　calls　to　mind　the



habitual　parochialism　of　the　governing　boards　of　these　seminaries



of　the　higher　learning；　and　the　meticulous　manoeuvres　of　their



executives　seeking　each　to　enhance　his　own　prestige　and　the



prestige　of　his　own　establishment；　there　is　not　much　of　an



evident　outlook　for　large　and　generous　measures　looking　to　the



common　good。　And　yet　it　is　also　to　be　called　to　mind　that　these



governing　boards　and　executives　are；　after　all；　drawn　from　the



common　stock　of　humanity；　picked　men　as　they　may　be；　and　that



they　are　subject；　after　all；　to　somewhat　the　same　impulses　and



infirmities　as　the　common　run；　picked　though　they　may　be　with　a



view　to　parochialism　and　blameless　futility。　Now；　what　is



overtaking　the　temper　of　the　common　run　under　the　strain　of　the



war　situation　should　be　instructive　as　to　what　may　be　also　looked



for　at　the　bands　of　these　men　in　whose　discretion　rest　the



fortunes　of　the　American　universities。　There　should　be　at　least　a



fighting　chance　that；　with　something　larger；　manlier；　more



substantial；　to　occupy　their　attention　and　to　shape　the　day's



work　for　them；　these　seminaries　of　learning　may；　under　instant



pressure；　turn　their　best　efforts　to　their　ostensible　purpose；



〃the　increase　and　diffusion　of　knowledge　among　men；〃　and　to



forego　their　habitual　preoccupation　with　petty　intrigue　and



bombastic　publicity；　until　the　return　of　idler　days。







NOTES：







1。　An　inquiry　of　this　kind　has　been　attempted　elsewhere：　Cf。　The



Instinct　of　Workmanship。　chapter　vii；　pp。　321…340；　〃The　Place　of



Science　in　Modern　Civilization〃；　American　Journal　of　Sociology。



Vol。　XI　（March；　1906）；　pp。　585…609；　〃The　Evolution　of　the



Scientific　Point　of　View；〃　University　of　California　Chronicle



（1908）；　Vol。　X；　No。　4；　pp。　395…416。







2。　Cf。　The　Instinct　of　Workmanship　and　the　State　of　the



Industrial　Arts；　ch。i　and　pp。　30…45；　52…62；　84…89。







3。　In　the　crude　surmises　of　the　pioneers　in　pragmatism　this



proposition　was　implicitly　denied；　in　their　later　and　more



advisedly　formulated　positions　the　expositors　of　pragmatism　have



made　peace　with　it。







4。　The　essential　function　of　the　university　is　to　bring　together；



for　the　transmission　of　experience　and　impulse；　the　sages　of　the



passing　and　the　picked　youths　of　the　coming　generation。　By　the



extent　and　fulness　with　which　they　establish　these　social



contacts；　and　thus　transmit　the　wave　of　cumulative　experience　and



idealist　impulse　　the　real　sources　of　moral　and　intellectual



progress　　the　universities　are　to　be　judged。　　Victor



Branford；　Interpretations　and　Forecasts；　ch。　VI。　〃The　Present　as



a　Transition。〃　p　288。







5。　Cf。；　Geo。　T。　Ladd；　University　Control；　p。　349。







6。　Cf。；　e。g。；　J。　McKeen　Cattell；　University　Control；　Part　III；



ch。　V。；　〃Concerning　the　American　University。〃　〃The　university　is



those　who　teach　and　those　who　learn　and　the　work　they　do。〃　〃The



university　is　its　men　and　their　work。　But　certain　externals　are



necessary　or　at　least　usual　　buildings　and　equipment；　a



president　and　trustees。〃



　　　　〃The　papers　by　other　writers　associated　with　Mr　Cattell　in



this　volume　run　to　the　same　effect　whenever　they　touch　the　same



topic；　and；　indeed；　it　would　be　difficult　to　find　a　deliberate



expression　to　the　contrary　among　men　entitled　to　speak　in　these



premises。



　　　　It　may　be　in　place　to　add　here　that　the　volume　referred　to；



on　University　Control；　has　been　had　in　mind　throughout　the



following　analysis　and　has　served　as　ground　and　material　for　much



of　the　argument。







7。　Cf。　The　Instinct　of　Workmanship；　ch。　vi；　vii。







8。　With　the　current　reactionary　trend　of　things　political　and