the higher learning in america-第5章

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matter…of…fact　knowledge　into　its　place　of　paramount　value　for



modern　culture　has　in　a　peculiar　degree　been　unintended　and



unforeseen；　the　like　applies　to　the　case　of　the　schools　and　the



personnel　involved；　and　in　a　peculiar　degree　the　drift　and



bearing　of　these　changes　have　also　not　been　appreciated　while



they　have　been　going　forward；　doubtless　because　it　has　all　been　a



peculiarly　unprecedented　phenomenon　and　a　wholly　undesigned　drift



of　habituation。　History　records　nothing　that　is　fairly



comparable。　No　era　in　the　historic　past　has　set　a　pattern　for



guidance　in　this　matter；　and　the　experience　of　none　of　the



peoples　of　history　affords　a　clue　by　which　to　have　judged



beforehand　of　the　probable　course　and　outcome　of　this



specifically　modern　and　occidental　phase　of　culture。



　　　　Some　slight　beginnings　and　excursions　in　the　way　of　a



cultivation　of　matter…of…fact　learning　there　may　have　been；　now



and　again；　among　the　many　shifting　systems　of　esoteric　lore　that



have　claimed　attention　here　and　there；　early　and　late；　and　these



need　by　no　means　be　accounted　negligible。　But　they　have　on　the



whole　come　to　nothing　much　better　than　broken　excursions；　as　seen



from　the　point　of　view　of　the　latterday　higher　learning；　and　they



have　brought　into　bearing　nothing　appreciable　in　the　way　of



establishments　designed　without　afterthought　to　further　the



advance　of　disinterested　knowledge。　Anything　like　a　cultural　era



that　avowedly　takes　such　a　quest　of　knowledge　as　its　chief　and



distinctive　characteristic　is　not　known　to　history。　From　this



isolated　state　of　the　case　it　follows；　unfortunately；　that　this



modern　phase　is　to　be　studied　only　in　its　own　light；　and　since



the　sequence　of　development　has　hitherto　reached　no　secure



consummation　or　conclusion；　there　is　also　much　room　for



conflicting　opinions　as　to　its　presumptive　or　legitimate　outcome；



or　even　as　to　its　present　drift。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II







　　　　But　notorious　facts　make　this　much　plain；　that　civilized



mankind　looks　to　this　quest　of　matter…of…fact　knowledge　as　its



most　substantial　asset　and　its　most　valued　achievement；　　in　so



far　as　any　consensus　of　appreciation　or　of　aspirations　is　to　be



found　among　civilized　mankind；　and　there　is　no　similar　consensus



bearing　on　any　other　feature　of　that　scheme　of　life　that



characterizes　modern　civilization。　It　is　similarly　beyond　dispute



that　men　look　to　the　modern　system　of　schools　and　related



establishments　of　learning　for　the　furtherance　and　conservation



of　this　intellectual　enterprise。　And　among　the　various　items　of



this　equipment　the　modern　university　is；　by　tradition；　more



closely　identified　with　the　quest　of　knowledge　than　any　other。　It



stands　in　a　unique　and　peculiarly　intimate　relation　to　this



intellectual　enterprise。　At　least　such　is　the　current



apprehension　of　the　university's　work。　The　university　is　the　only



accepted　institution　of　the　modern　culture　on　which　the　quest　of



knowledge　unquestionably　devolves；　and　the　visible　drift　of



circumstances　as　well　as　of　public　sentiment　runs　also　to　making



this　the　only　unquestioned　duty　incumbent　on　the　university。



　　　　It　is　true；　many　other　lines　of　work；　and　of　endeavor。　that



may　not　fairly　be　called　work；　are　undertaken　by　schools　of



university　grade；　and　also；　many　other　schools　that　call



themselves　〃universities〃　will　have　substantially　nothing　to　do



with　the　higher　learning。　But　each　and　several　of　these　other



lines　of　endeavor；　into　which　the　universities　allow　themselves



to　be　drawn；　are　open　to　question。　Their　legitimacy　remains　an



open　question　in　spite　of　the　interested　arguments　of　their



spokesmen；　who　advocate　the　partial　submergence　of　the　university



in　such　enterprises　as　professional　training；　undergraduate



instruction；　supervision　and　guidance　of。　the　secondary　school



system；　edification　of　the　unlearned　by　〃university　extension〃



and　similar　excursions　into　the　field　of　public　amusement；



training　of　secondary　school　teachers；　encouragement　of　amateurs



by　〃correspondence；〃　etc。　What　and　how　much　of　these　extraneous



activities　the　university　should　allow　itself　is　a　matter　on



which　there　is　no　general　agreement　even　among　those　whose



inclinations　go　far　in　that　direction；　but　what　is　taken　for



granted　throughout　all　this　advocacy　of　outlying　detail　is　the



secure　premise　that　the　university　is　in　the　first　place　a



seminary　of　the　higher　learning；　and　that　no　school　can　make　good



its　pretensions　to　university　standing　except　by　proving　its



fitness　in　this　respect。（4*）



　　　　The　conservation　and　advancement　of　the　higher　learning



involves　two　lines　of　work；　distinct　but　closely　bound　together：



（a）　scientific　and　scholarly　inquiry；　and　（b）　the　instruction　of



students。（5*）　The　former　of　these　is　primary　and　indispensable。



It　is　this　work　of　intellectual　enterprise　that　gives　its



character　to　the　university　and　marks　it　off　from　the　lower



schools。　The　work　of　teaching　properly　belongs　in　the　university



only　because　and　in　so　far　as　it　incites　and　facilitates　the



university　man's　work　of　inquiry；　　and　the　extent　to　which　such



teaching　furthers　the　work　of　inquiry　is　scarcely　to　be



appreciated　without　a　somewhat　extended　experience。　By　and　large；



there　are　but　few　and　inconsequential　exceptions　to　the　rule　that



teaching；　as　a　concomitant　of　investigation；　is　distinctly



advantageous　to　the　investigator；　particularly　in　so　far　as　his



work　is　of　the　nature　of　theoretical　inquiry。　The　instruction



necessarily　involved　in　university　work；　therefore；　is　only　such



as　can　readily　be　combined　with　the　work　of　inquiry；　at　the　same



time　that　it　goes　directly　to　further　the　higher　learning　in　that



it　trains　the　incoming　generation　of　scholars　and　scientists　for



the　further　pursuit　of　knowledge。　Training　for　other　purposes　is



necessarily　of　a　different　kind　and　is　best　done　elsewhere；　and



it　does　not　become　university　work　by　calling　it　so　and　imposing



its　burden　on　the　men　and　equipment　whose　only　concern　should　be



the　higher　learning。



　　　　University　teaching；　having　a　particular　and　special　purpose



　the　pursuit　of　knowledge　　it　has　also　a　particular　and



special　character；　such　as　to　differentiate　it　from　other



teaching　and　at　the　same　time　leave　it　relatively　ineffective　for



other　purposes。　Its　aim　is　to　equip　the　student　for　the　work　of



inquiry；　not　to　give　him　facility　in　that　conduct　of　affairs　that



turns　such　knowledge　to　〃practical　account。〃　Hence　the



instruction　that　falls　legitimately　under　the　hand　of　the



university　man　is　necessarily　subsidiary　and　incidental　to　the



work　of　inquiry；　and　it　can　effectually　be　carried　on　only　by



such　a　teacher　as　is　himself　occupied　with　the　scrutiny　of　what



knowledge　is　already　in　hand　and　with　pushing　the　inquiry　to



further　gains。　And　it　can　be　carried　on　by　such　a　teacher　only　by



drawing　his　students　into　his　own　work　of　inquiry。　The　student's



relation　to　his　teacher　necessarily　becomes　that　of　an　apprentice



to　his　master；　rather　than　that　of　a　pupil　to　his　schoolmaster。



　　　　A　university　is　a　body　of　mature　scholars　and　scientists；　the



〃faculty；〃　　with　whatever　plant　and　other　equipment　may



incidentally　serve　as　appliances　for　their　work　in　any　given



case。　The　necessary　material　equipment　may　under　modern



conditions　be　very　considerable；　as　may　also　the　number　of



care…takers；　assistants；　etc。；　but　all　that　is　not　the



university；　but　merely　its　equipment。　And　the　university　man's



work　is　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　together