the higher learning in america-第50章

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the　〃practical。〃　These　various　projections　of　university



enterprise　uniformly　make　some　plausible　claim　of　that　nature。



Any　extension　of　the　corporation's　activity　can　be　more　readily



effected；　is　accepted　more　as　an　expedient　matter　of　course；　if



it　promises　to　have　such　a　〃practical〃　value。　〃Practical〃　in　this



connection　means　useful　for　private　gain；　it　need　imply　nothing



in　the　way　of　serviceability　to　the　common　good。



　　　　The　same　spirit　shows　itself　also　in　a　ceaseless　revision　of



the　schedule　of　instruction　offered　by　the　collegiate　or



undergraduate　division　as　such；　where　it　leads　to　a



multiplication　of　courses　desired　to　give　or　to　lead　up　to



vocational　training。　So　that　practical　instruction；　in　the　sense



indicated；　is　continually　thrown　more　into　the　foreground　in　the



courses　offered；　as　well　as　in　the　solicitude　of　the　various



administrative　boards；　bureaux　and　committees　that　have　to　do



with　the　organization　and　management　of　the　academic　machinery。



　　　　As　has　already　been　remarked；　these　directive　boards；



committees；　and　chiefs　of　bureau　are　chosen；　in　great　part；　for



their　businesslike　efficiency；　because　they　are　good　office…men；



with　〃executive　ability〃；　and　the　animus　of　these　academic



businessmen；　by　so　much；　becomes　the　guiding　spirit　of　the



corporation　of　learning；　and　through　their　control　it　acts



intimately　and　pervasively　to　order　the　scope　and　method　of



academic　instruction。　This　permeation　of　the　university's



everyday　activity　by　the　principles　of　competitive　business　is



less　visible　to　outsiders　than　the　various　lines　of　extraneous



enterprise　already　spoken　of；　but　it　touches　the　work　within　the



university　proper　even　more　radically　and　insistently；　although；



it　is　true；　it　affects　the　collegiate　（undergraduate）　instruction



more　immediately　than　what　is　fairly　to　be　classed　as　university



work。　The　consequences　are　plain。　Business　proficiency　is　put　in



the　place　of　learning。　It　is　said　by　advocates　of　this　move　that



learning　is　hereby　given　a　more　practical　bent；　which　is



substantially　a　contradiction　in　terms。　It　is　a　case　not　of



assimilation；　but　of　displacement　and　substitution；　garnished



with　circumlocution　of　a　more　or　less　ingenuous　kind。







　　　　Historically；　in　point　of　derivation　and　early　growth；　this



movement　for　vocational　training　is　closely　related　to　the



American　system　of　〃electives〃　in　college　instruction；　if　it　may



not　rather　be　said　to　be　a　direct　outgrowth　of　that　pedagogical



expedient。（1*）　It　dates　back　approximately　to　the　same　period　for



its　beginnings；　and　much　of　the　arguments　adduced　in　its　favour



are　substantially　the　same　as　have　been　found　convincing　for　the



system　of　electives。　Under　the　elective　system　a　considerable　and



increasing　freedom　has　been　allowed　the　student　in　the　choice　of



what　he　will　include　in　his　curriculum；　so　that　the　colleges　have



in　this　way　come　to　refer　the　choice　of　topics　in　good　part　to



the　guidance　of　the　student's　own　interest。　To　meet　the　resulting



range　and　diversity　of　demands；　an　increasing　variety　of　courses



has　been　offered；　at　the　same　time　that　a　narrower　specialization



has　also　taken　effect　in　much　of　the　instruction　offered。　Among



the　other　leadings　of　interest　among　students；　and　affecting



their　choice　of　electives；　has　also　been　the　laudable　practical



interest　that　these　young　men　take　in　their　own　prospective



material　success。（2*）　So　that　this　　academically　speaking；



extraneous　　interest　has　come　to　mingle　and　take　rank　with　the



scholarly　interests　proper　in　shaping　the　schedule　of



instruction。　A　decisive　voice　in　the　ordering　of　the　affairs　of



the　higher　learning　has　so　been　given　to　the　novices；　or　rather



to　the　untutored　probationers　of　the　undergraduate　schools；　whose



entrance　on　a　career　of　scholarship　is　yet　a　matter　of



speculative　probability　at　the　best。



　　　　Those　who　have　spoken　for　an　extensive　range　of　electives



have　in　a　very　appreciable　measure　made　use　of　that　expedient　as



a　means　of　displacing　what　they　have　regarded　as　obsolete　or



dispensable　items　in　the　traditional　college　curriculum。　In　so



advocating　a　wider　range　and　freedom　of　choice；　they　have　spoken



for　the　new　courses　of　instruction　as　being　equally　competent



with　the　old　in　point　of　discipline　and　cultural　value；　and　they



have　commonly　not　omitted　to　claim　　somewhat　in　the　way　of　an



obiter　dictum；　perhaps　　that　these　newer　and　more　vital　topics；



whose　claims　they　advocate；　have　also　the　peculiar　merit　of



conducing　in　a　special　degree　to　good　citizenship　and　the



material　welfare　of　the　community。　Such　a　line　of　argument　has



found　immediate　response　among　those　pragmatic　spirits　within



whose　horizon　〃value〃　is　synonymous　with　〃pecuniary　value；〃　and



to　whom　good　citizenship　means　proficiency　in　competitive



business。　So　it　has　come　about　that；　while　the　initial　purpose　of



the　elective　system　appears　to　have　been　the　sharpening　of　the



students'　scholarly　interests　and　the　cultivation　of　a　more



liberal　scholarship；　it　has　by　force　of　circumstances　served　to



propagate　a　movement　at　cross　purposes　with　all　scholarly



aspiration。



　　　　All　this　advocacy　of　the　practical　in　education　has　fallen　in



with　the　aspirations　of　such　young　men　as　are　eager　to　find



gratuitous　help　toward　a　gainful　career；　as　well　as　with　the



desires　of　parents　who　are　anxious　to　see　their　sons　equipped　for



material　success；　and　not　least　has　it　appealed　to　the



sensibilities　of　those　substantial　citizens　who　are　already



established　in　business　and　feel　the　need　of　a　free　supply　of



trained　subordinates　at　reasonable　wages。　The　last　mentioned　is



the　more　substantial　of　these　incentives　to　gratuitous　vocational



training；　coming　in；　as　it　does；　with　the　endorsement　of　the



community's　most　respected　and　most　influential　men。　Whether　it



is　training　in　any　of　the　various　lines　of　engineering；　in



commerce；　in　journalism；　or　in　the　mechanic　and　manual　trades；



the　output　of　trained　men　from　these　vocational　schools　goes；　in



the　main；　to　supply　trained　employees　for　concerns　already



profitably　established　in　such　lines　of　business　as　find　use　for



this　class　of　men；　and　through　the　gratuitous；　or　half



gratuitous；　opportunities　offered　by　these　schools；　this　needed



supply　of　trained　employees　comes　to　the　business　concerns　in



question　at　a　rate　of　wages　lower　than　what　they　would　have　to



pay　in　the　absence　of　such　gratuitous　instruction。



　　　　Not　that　these　substantial　citizens；　whose　word　counts　for　so



much　in　commendation　of　practical　education；　need　be　greatly



moved　by　selfish　consideration　of　this　increased　ease　in



procuring　skilled　labour　for　use　in　their　own　pursuit　of　gain；



but　the　increased　and　cheaper　supply　of　such　skilled　workmen　is



〃good　for　business；〃　and；　in　the　common　sense　estimation　of　these



conservative　businessmen；　what　is　good　for　business　is　good；



without　reservation。　What　is　good　for　business　is　felt　to　be



serviceable　for　the　common　good；　and　no　closer　scrutiny　is



commonly　given　to　that　matter。　While　any　closer　scrutiny　would



doubtless　throw　serious　doubt　on　this　general　proposition；　such



scrutiny　can　not　but　be　distasteful　to　the　successful



businessmen；　since　it　would　unavoidably　also　throw　a　shadow　of



doubt　on　the　meritoriousness　of　that　business　traffic　in　which



they　have　achieved　their　success　and　to　which　they　owe　their



preferential　standing　in　the　community。



　　　　In　this　high　rating　of　things　practical　the　captains　of



industry　are　also　substantially　a