the higher learning in america-第16章

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8。　With　the　current　reactionary　trend　of　things　political　and



civil　toward　mediaeval…barbarian　policies　and　habits　of　thought



in　the　Fatherland；　something　of　a　correlative　change　has　also



latterly　come　in　evidence　in　the　German　universities；　so　that



what　is　substantially　〃cameralistic　science〃　　training　and



information　for　prospective　civil　servants　and　police　magistrates



is　in　some　appreciable　measure　displacing　disinterested　inquiry



in　the　field　of　economics　and　political　theory。　This　is



peculiarly　true　of　those　corporations　of　learning　that　come



closely　in　touch　with　the　Cultus　Ministerium。







9。　Cf。　〃Some　Considerations　On　the　Function　of　the　State



University。〃　（Inaugural　Address　of　Edmund　Janes　James；　Ph。D。；



LL。D。）；　Science；　November　17；　1905。











CHAPTER　II







The　Governing　Boards







　　　　In　the　working　theory　of　the　modern　civilized　community；　



that　is　to　say　in　the　current　common…sense　apprehension　of　what



is　right　and　good；　as　it　works　out　in　the　long　run；　　the



university　is　a　corporation　of　learning；　disinterested　and



dispassionate。　To　its　keeping　is　entrusted　the　community's　joint



interest　in　esoteric　knowledge。　It　is　given　over　to　the



single…minded　pursuit　of　science　and　scholarship；　without



afterthought　and　without　a　view　to　interests　subsidiary　or



extraneous　to　the　higher　learning。　It　is；　indeed；　the　one　great



institution　of　modern　times　that　works　to　no　ulterior　end　and　is



controlled　by　no　consideration　of　expediency　beyond　its　own　work。



Typically；　normally；　in　point　of　popular　theory；　the　university



is　moved　by　no　consideration　other　than　〃the　increase　and



diffusion　of　knowledge　among　men。〃　This　is　so　because　this



profitless　quest　of　knowledge　has　come　to　be　the　highest　and



ulterior　aim　of　modern　culture。



　　　　Such　has　been　the　case；　increasingly；　for　some　generations



past；　but　it　is　not　until　quite　recently　that　such　a　statement



would　hold　true　unequivocally　and　with　an　unqualified　generality。



That　the　case　stands　so　today　is　due　to　the　failure　of



theoretical　interests　of　a　different　kind；　directly　and



immediately　it　is　due　to　the　fact　that　in　the　immediate　present



the　cult　of　knowledge　has；　by　default；　taken　over　that　primacy



among　human　interests　which　an　eschatologically　thrifty　religious



sentiment　once　held　in　the　esteem　of　Christendom。　So　long　as　the



fear　of　God　still　continued　to　move　the　generality　of　civilized



men　in　sufficient　measure；　their　theoretical　knowledge　was



organized　for　〃the　glory　of　God　and　the　good　of　man；〃　　the



latter　phrase　being　taken　in　the　eschatological　sense；　and　so



long　the　resulting　scheme　of　learning　was　laid　out　and　cultivated



with　an　eye　to　the　main　chance　in　a　hereafter　given　over；　in　the



main　and　for　its　major　effect；　to　pains　and　penalties。　With　the



latterday　dissipation　of　this　fear　of　God；　the　scheme　of



knowledge　handed　down　out　of　a　devout　past　and　further　amplified



in　the　（theoretically）　Godless　present；　has；　by　atrophy　of



disuse；　lost　its　ulterior　view　to　such　spiritual　expediency；　and



has　come　to　stand　over　as　an　output　of　intellectual　enterprise



working　under　the　impulsion　and　guidance　of　an　idle　curiosity



simply。　All　this　may　not　be　much　to　the　credit　of　civilized



mankind；　but　dispassionate　reflection　will　not　leave　the　fact　in



doubt。　And　the　outcome　for　the　university；　considered　as　an



institution　of　this　modern　culture；　is　such　as　this　conjuncture



of　circumstances　will　require。



　　　　But　while　such　is　the　dispassionate　working　theory；　the



long…term　drift　of　modern　common　sense　as　touches　the　work　of　the



university；　it　is　also　a　matter　of　course　that　this　ideally



single…minded　course　of　action　has　never　been　realized　in　any



concrete　case。　While　it　holds　true；　by　and　large；　that　modern



Christendom　has　outlived　the　fear　of　God；　　that　is　to　say　of



〃the　Pope；　the　Turk；　and　the　Devil；〃　　it　does　not　therefore



follow　that　men　take　a　less　instant　interest　in　the　affairs　of



life；　or　carry　on　the　traffic　of　their　lives　with　a　less　alert



eye　to　the　main　chance；　than　they　once　did　under　the　habitual



shadow　of　that　barbarian　fear。　The　difference　is；　for　the　purpose



in　hand；　that　the　same　solicitous　attention　that　once　converged



on　such　an　avoidance　of　ulterior　consequences　now　centres　on



questions　of　present　ways　and　means。　Worldly　wisdom　has　not



fallen　into　decay　or　abeyance；　but　it　has　become　a　wisdom　of　ways



and　means　that　lead　to　nothing　beyond　further　ways　and　means。



Expediency　and　practical　considerations　have　come　to　mean



considerations　of　a　pecuniary　kind；　good；　on　the　whole；　for



pecuniary　purposes　only；　that　is　to　say；　gain　and　expenditure　for



the　sake　of　further　gain　and　expenditure；　with　nothing　that　will



stand　scrutiny　as　a　final　term　to　this　traffic　in　ways　and　means；



　except　only　this　cult　of　the　idle　curiosity　to　which　the　seats



of　learning　are；　in　theory；　dedicate。　But　unremitting　habituation



to　the　competitive　pursuit　of　ways　and　means　has　determined　that



〃practical〃　interests　of　this　complexion　rule　workday　life　in　the



modern　community　throughout；　and　they　are　therefore　so　intimately



and　ubiquitously　bound　up　with　current　habits　of　thought；　and



have　so　strong　and　immediate　a　hold　on　current　workday　sentiment；



that；　hitherto；　in　no　case　have　the　seats　of　learning　been　able



to　pursue　their　quest　of　knowledge　with　anything　like　that



single…mindedness　which　academic　men　are　moved　to　profess　in



their　moments　of　academic　elation。



　　　　Some　one　vital　interest　of　this　practical　sort；　some　variant



of　the　quest　of　gain；　is　always　at　hand　and　strenuously　effective



in　the　community's　life；　and　therefore　dominates　their　everyday



habits　of　thought　for　the　time　being。　This　tone…giving　dominance



of　such　a　workday　interest　may　be　transient　or　relatively



enduring；　it　may　be　more　or　less　urgently　important　and



consequential　under　the　circumstances　in　which　the　community　is



placed；　or　the　clamour　of　its　spokesmen　and　beneficiaries　may　be



more　or　less　ubiquitous　and　pertinacious；　but　in　any　case　it　will



have　its　effect　in　the　counsels　of　the　〃Educators；〃　and　so　it



will　infect　the　university　as　well　as　the　lower　levels　of　the



educational　system。　So　that；　while　the　higher　learning　still



remains　as　the　enduring　purpose　and　substantial　interest　of　the



university　establishment；　the　dominant　practical　interests　of　the



day　will；　transiently　but　effectually；　govern　the　detail　lines　of



academic　policy；　the　range　of　instruction　offered；　and　the



character　of　the　personnel；　and　more　particularly　and　immediately



will　the　character　of　the　governing　boards　and　the　academic



administration　so　be　determined　by　the　current　run　of　popular



sentiment　touching　the　community's　practical　needs　and　aims；



since　these　ruling　bodies　stand；　in　one　way　or　another；　under　the



critical　surveillance　of　a　lay　constituency。







　　　　The　older　American　universities　have　grown　out　of　underlying



colleges；　　undergraduate　schools。　Within　the　memory　of　men



still　living　it　was　a　nearly　unbroken　rule　that　the　governing



boards　of　these　higher　American　schools　were　drawn　largely　from



the　clergy　and　were　also　guided　mainly　by　ecclesiastical；　or　at



least　by　devotional；　notions　of　what　was　right　and　needful　in



matters　of　learning。　This　state　of　things　reflected　the　ingrained



devoutness　of　that　portion　of　the　American　community　to　which　the



higher　schools　then　were　of　much　significance。　At　the　same　time



it　reflected　the　historical　fact　that　the　colleges　of　the　early