the higher learning in america-第47章

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no　inquiry　and　are　eternally　right　and　good；　in　which　case　he



does　best　to　rest　content　at　his　point　of　departure。　Scepticism



is　the　beginning　of　science。　Herein　lies　the　difference　between



homiletical　exposition　and　scientific　inquiry。



　　　　Now；　on　these　matters　of　habit　and　convention；　morality　and



religion；　law　and　order　　matters　which　intimately　touch　the



community's　accepted　scheme　of　life　　all　men　have　convictions；



sentimental　convictions　to　which　they　adhere　with　an　instinctive



tenacity；　and　any　disturbance　of　which　they　resent　as　a　violation



of　fundamental　truth。　These　institutions　of　society　are　made　up



of　the　habits　of　thought　of　the　people　who　live　under　them。　The



consensus　of　the　unlearned；　or　unscientific；　as　regards　the



scientific　validity　of　inquiries　which　touch　these　matters　means



little　else　than　the　collective　expressions　of　a　jealous



orthodoxy　with　respect　to　the　articles　of　the　current　social



creed。　One　who　purports　to　be　a　scientist　in　this　field　can　gain



popular　approval　of　his　scientific　capacity；　particularly　the



businessmen's　approval；　only　by　accepting　and　confirming　current



convictions　regarding　those　elements　of　the　accepted　scheme　of



life　with　which　his　science　is　occupied。　Any　inquiry　which　does



not　lead　to　corroboration　of　the　opinions　in　vogue　among　the



unlearned　is　condemned　as　being　spurious　and　dangerously



wrong…headed；　whereas　an　unbiassed　inquiry　into　these　things；　of



course；　neither　confirms　nor　disputes　the　scheme　of　things　into



which　it　inquires。　And　so；　at　the　best；　it　falls　into　the　same



class　with　the　fabled　Alexandrine　books　that　either　agreed　with



the　Koran　or　disagreed　with　it；　and　were　therefore　either　idle　or



sacrilegious。



　　　　Within　this　field；　vulgar　sentiment　will　tolerate　a　sceptical



or　non…committal　attitude　toward　vulgar　convictions　only　as



regards　the　decorative　furnishings；　not　as　regards　the　substance



of　the　views　arrived　at。　Some　slight　play　of　hazardous　phrases



about　the　fringe　of　the　institutional　fabric　may　be　tolerated　by



the　popular　taste；　as　an　element　of　spice；　and　as　indicating　a



generous　and　unbiassed　mind；　but　in　such　cases　the　conclusive



test　of　scientific　competency　and　leadership；　in　the　popular



apprehension；　is　a　serene　and　magniloquent　return　to　the　orthodox



commonplaces；　after　all　such　playful　excursions。　In　fact；



substantially　nothing　but　homiletics　and　woolgathering　will　pass



popular　muster　as　science　in　this　connection。



　　　　So　it　comes　about　that　the　men　who　are　by　common　notoriety



held　to　be　the　leaders　in　this　field　of　learning；　and　who



therefore　are　likely　to　be　thrown　up　by　official　preferment；　are



such　as　enlarge　on　the　commonplace　and　aphoristic　wisdom　of　the



laity。　Not　that　the　official　sanction　falls　unfailingly　on　the



paragons　of　mediocrity；　there　are　many　and　illustrious



exceptions；　a　fair　proportion　of　whom　would　be　illustrious　even



without　the　official　sanction；　and　in　this　connection　it　is　in



place　to　recall　that　business　principles　have　not　hitherto　held



undivided　and　sovereign　dominion　in　this　province；　and　that　there



is　even　reason　to　believe　that　they　are　not　yet　coming　fully　into



their　own。



　　　　These　putative　leaders　of　science　referred　to　are；　in　the



common　run　of　cases；　not　men　with　whom　the　science　will　have　to



count；　but　by　virtue　of　their　eligibility　as　academic　spokesmen



of　the　science；　they　are　men　with　whom　their　contemporaries　in



the　science　will　have　to　count。　As　is　shown　by　the　experience　of



the　past；　they　are　likely　to　be　well　forgotten　by　the　generation



that　follows　them；　but　they　are；　perforce；　equally　well



remembered　by　their　contemporaries。　It　is　not　the　long…term



serviceability　of　these　official　scientists　that　counts　toward



their　availability　for　academic　leadership；　but　their　popular



prestige。　They　may　not　be　such　leaders　as　the　science　needs；　but



they　are　such　exponents　of　opinion　as　are　believed　to　commend



themselves　to　the　tastes　of　the　well…to…do　laity。　A　citation　of



instances　would　seem　invidious；　nor；　presumably；　is　it　called



for。　The　anecdotal　history　of　contemporary　events　is　particularly



full　at　this　juncture；　while　to　outsiders　who　are　not　in　a



position　to　appreciate　either　the　urgency　or　the　subtlety　of　the



motives　of　academic　expediency　in　this　bearing；　a　recital　of



illustrative　instances　might　seem　either　libellous　or　farcical。



The　exigencies　of　competitive　academic　enterprise；　especially　in



its　relation　to　the　maintenance　and　increase　of　endowment；　place



the　executive　in　a　very　delicate　position　in　this　matter　and



leave　little　room　for　squeamish　deliberation。



　　　　At　the　risk　of　tedium；　it　is　necessary　to　push　the　analysis



of　businesslike　motives　and　their　bearing　a　step　farther　at　this



point。　It　is　not　simply　the　vulgar；　commonplace　convictions　of



the　populace　that　must　receive　consideration　in　this　field　of　the



moral　and　social　sciences；　　including　such　matters　as　religion；



sociology；　economics；　and　political　science；　so…called。　What　is



especially　to　be　conciliated　by　the　official　scientists　is　the



current　range　of　convictions　on　all　these　heads　among　those



well…to…do　classes　from　whom　the　institution　hopes　to　draw



contributions　to　its　endowment；　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　more



reputable　part　of　its　undergraduate　client鑜e；　on　the　other　hand。



Which　comes；　broadly；　to　saying　that　a　jealous　eye　must　be　had　to



the　views　and　prepossessions　prevalent　among　the　respectable；



conservative　middle　class；　with　a　particular　regard　to　that　more



select　body　of　substantial　citizens　who　have　the　disposal　of



accumulated　wealth。　This　select　and　substantial　element　are　on



the　whole　more　conservative；　more　old…fashioned　in　their　views　of



what　is　right；　good　and　true；　and　hold　their　views　on　more



archaic　grounds　of　conviction；　than　the　generality　of　the　vulgar。



And　within　this　conservative　body；　again；　it　is　the　elderly



representatives　of　the　old　order　that　are　chiefly　to　be



considered；　　since　it　is　the　honourable　custom　among　men　of



large　means　not　to　give　largely　to　institutions　of　learning　until



late　in　life。



　　　　It　is　to　be　accounted　one　of　the　meritorious　customs　of　the



greater　businessmen　that；　one　with　another；　they　eventually



convert　a　share　of　their　takings　to　the　installation　of　schools



and　similar　establishments　designed　to　serve　and　to　conserve　the



amenities　of　civilized　life。　Usually　it　is　in　later　life；　or　as



an　act　of　leave…taking；　that　this　munificence　is　exercised。



Usually；　too；　the　great　men　who　put　forth　this　large　munificence



do　not　hamper　their　bounty　with　many　restrictions　on　the



character　of　the　enlightenment　which　it　is　to　serve。　Indeed；



there　is　in　this　respect　a　certain　large　modesty　and　continence



customarily　associated　with　the　large　donations。　But　like　other



men　of　force　and　thoughtfulness；　the　large　and　elderly



businessmen　have　well…assured　convictions　and　preferences；　and　as



is　the　case　with　other　men　of　the　passing　generation；　so　with　the



superannuated　businessmen；　their　convictions　and　preferences　fall



out　on　the　side　of　the　old　order　rather　than　contrariwise。　A　wise



academic　policy；　conducted　by　an　executive　looking　to　the　fiscal



interests　of　the　university；　will　aim　not　to　alienate　the



affections　of　the　large　businessmen　of　a　ripe　age；　by　harbouring



specialists　whose　inquires　are　likely　to　traverse　these



old…settled　convictions　in　the　social；　economic；　political；　or



religious　domain。　It　is　bad　business　policy　to　create　unnecessary



annoyance。　So　it　comes　about