the higher learning in america-第3章

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course；　effectually　govern　the　interpretation　and　generalizations



of　fact　in　all　their　commonplace　relations。　But　the　current　state



of　the　industrial　arts　is　not　all　that　conditions　workmanship。



Under　any　given　institutional　situation；　　and　the　modern　scheme



of　use　and　wont；　law　and　order；　is　no　exception；workmanship　is



held　to　a　more　or　less　exacting　conformity　to　several　tests　and



standards　that　are　not　intrinsic　to　the　state　of　the　industrial



arts；　even　if　they　are　not　alien　to　it；　such　as　the　requirements



imposed　by　the　current　system　of　ownership　and　pecuniary　values。



These　pecuniary　conditions　that　impose　themselves　on　the



processes　of　industry　and　on　the　conduct　of　life；　together　with



the　pecuniary　accountancy　that　goes　with　them　　the　price　system



have　much　to　say　in　the　guidance　and　limitations　of　workmanship。



And　when　and　in　so　far　as　the　habituation　so　enforced　in　the



traffic　of　workday　life　goes　into　effect　as　a　scheme　of　logic



governing　the　quest　of　knowledge；　such　principles　as　have　by



habit　found　acceptance　as　being　conventionally　salutary　and



conclusive　in　the　pecuniary　conduct　of　affairs　will　necessarily



leave　their　mark　on　the　ideals；　aims；　methods　and　standards　of



science　and　those　principles　and　scholarship。　More　particularly；



standards　of　organization；　control　and　achievement；　that　have



been　accepted　as　an　habitual　matter　of　course　in　the　conduct　of



business　will；　by　force　of　habit；　in　good　part　reassert



themselves　as　indispensable　and　conclusive　in　the　conduct　of　the



affairs　of　learning。　While　it　remains　true　that　the　bias　of



workmanship　continues　to　guide　the　quest　of　knowledge；　under　the



conditions　imposed　by　modern　institutions　it　will　not　be　the



naive　conceptions　of　primitive　workmanship　that　will　shape　the



framework　of　the　modern　system　of　learning；　but　rather　the



preconceptions　of　that　disciplined　workmanship　that　has　been



instructed　in　the　logic　of　the　modern　technology　and



sophisticated　with　much　experience　in　a　civilization　in　whose



scheme　of　life　pecuniary　canons　are　definitive。



　　　　The　modern　technology　is　of　an　impersonal；　matter…of…fact



character　in　an　unexampled　degree；　and　the　accountancy　of　modern



business　management　is　also　of　an　extremely　dispassionate　and



impartially　exacting　nature。　It　results　that　the　modern　learning



is　of　a　similarly　matter…of…fact；　mechanistic　complexion；　and



that　it　similarly　leans　on　statistically　dispassionate　tests　and



formulations。　Whereas　it　may　fairly　be　said　that　the　personal



equation　once　　in　the　days　of　scholastic　learning　　was　the



central　and　decisive　factor　in　the　systematization　of　knowledge；



it　is　equally　fair　to　say　that　in　later　time　no　effort　is　spared



to　eliminate　all　bias　of　personality　from　the　technique　or　the



results　of　science　or　scholarship。　It　is　the　〃dry　light　of



science〃　that　is　always　in　request；　and　great　pains　is　taken　to



exclude　all　color　of　sentimentality。



　　　　Yet　this　highly　sterilized；　germ…proof　system　of　knowledge；



kept　in　a　cool；　dry　place；　commands　the　affection　of　modern



civilized　mankind　no　less　unconditionally；　with　no　more



afterthought　of　an　extraneous　sanction；　than　once　did　the　highly



personalized　mythological　and　philosophical　constructions　and



interpretations　that　had　the　vogue　in　the　days　of　the　schoolmen。



　　　　Through　all　the　mutations　that　have　passed　over　this　quest　of



knowledge；　from　its　beginnings　in　puerile　myth　and　magic　to　its



（provisional）　consummation　in　the　〃exact〃　sciences　of　the　current



fashion；　any　attentive　scrutiny　will　find　that　the　driving　force



has　consistently　been　of　the　same　kind；　traceable　to　the　same



proclivity　of　human　nature。　In　so　far　as　it　may　fairly　be



accounted　esoteric　knowledge；　or　a　〃higher　learning；〃　all　this



enterprise　is　actuated　by　an　idle　curiosity；　a　disinterested



proclivity　to　gain　a　knowledge　of　things　and　to　reduce　this



knowledge　to　a　comprehensible　system。　The　objective　end　is　a



theoretical　organization。　a　logical　articulation　of　things　known；



the　lines　of　which　must　not　be　deflected　by　any　consideration　of



expediency　or　convenience；　but　must　run　true　to　the　canons　of



reality　accepted　at　the　time。　These　canons　of　reality；　or　of



verity；　have　varied　from　time　to　time；　have　in　fact　varied



incontinently　with　the　passage　of　time　and　the　mutations　of



experience。　As　the　fashions　of　modern　time　have　come　on；



particularly　the　later　phases　of　modern　life；　the　experience　that



so　has　shaped　and　reshaped　the　canons　of　verity　for　the　use　of



inquiring　minds　has　fallen　more　and　more　into　the　lines　of



mechanical　articulation　and　has　expressed　itself　ever　more



unreservedly　in　terms　of　mechanical　stress。　Concomitantly　the



canons　of　reality　have　taken　on　a　mechanistic　complexion；　to　the



neglect　and　progressive　disuse　of　all　tests　and　standards　of　a



more　genial　sort；　until　in　the　off…hand　apprehension　of　modern



men；　〃reality〃　comes　near　being　identified　with　mechanical　fact；



and　〃verification〃　is　taken　to　mean　a　formulation　in　mechanical



terms。　But　the　final　test　of　this　reality　about　which　the



inquiries　of　modern　men　so　turn　is　not　the　test　of　mechanical



serviceability　for　human　use；　but　only　of　mechanistically



effectual　matter…of…fact。







　　　　So　it　has　come　about　that　modern　civilization　is　in　a　very



special　degree　a　culture　of　the　intellectual　powers；　in　the



narrower　sense　of　the　term；　as　contrasted　with　the　emotional



traits　of　human　nature。　Its　achievements　and　chief　merits　are



found　in　this　field　of　learning；　and　its　chief　defects　elsewhere。



And　it　is　on　its　achievements　in　this　domain　of　detached　and



dispassionate　knowledge　that　modern　civilized　mankind　most



ingenuously　plumes　itself　and　confidently　rests　its　hopes。　The



more　emotional　and　spiritual　virtues　that　once　held　the　first



place　have　been　overshadowed　by　the　increasing　consideration



given　to　proficiency　in　matter…of…fact　knowledge。　As　prime　movers



in　the　tide　of　civilized　life；　these　sentimental　movements　of　the



human　spirit　belong　in　the　past；　…at　least　such　is　the



self…complacent　avowal　of　the　modern　spokesmen　of　culture。　The



modern　technology；　and　the　mechanistic　conception　of　things　that



goes　with　that　technology；　are　alien　to　the　spirit　of　the　〃Old



Order。〃　The　Church；　the　court；　the　camp；　the　drawing…room；　where



these　elder　and　perhaps　nobler　virtues　had　their　laboratory　and



playground；　have　grown　weedy　and　gone　to　seed。　Much　of　the



apparatus　of　the　old　order；　with　the　good　old　way；　still　stands



over　in　a　state　of　decent　repair；　and　the　sentimentally



reminiscent　endeavors　of　certain　spiritual　〃hold…overs〃　still



lend　this　apparatus　of　archaism　something　of　a　galvanic　life。　But



that　power　of　aspiration　that　once　surged　full　and　hot　in　the



cults　of　faith；　fashion；　sentiment；　exploit；　and　honor；　now　at



its　best　comes　to　such　a　head　as　it　may　in　the　concerted



adulation　of　matter…of…fact。



　　　　This　esoteric　knowledge　of　matter…of…fact　has　come　to　be



accepted　as　something　worth　while　in　its　own　right；　a



self…legitimating　end　of　endeavor　in　itself；　apart　from　any



bearing　it　may　have　on　the　glory　of　God　or　the　good　of　man。　Men



have；　no　doubt；　always　been　possessed　of　a　more　or　less　urgent



propensity　to　inquire　into　the　nature　of　things；　beyond　the



serviceability　of　any　knowledge　so　gained；　and　have　always　been



given　to　seeking　curious　explanations　of　things　at　large。　The



idle　curiosity　is　a　native　trait　of　the　race。　But　in　past　times



such　a　disinterested　pursuit　of　unprofitable　knowledge　has；　by



and　large；　n