the higher learning in america-第53章

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technological　schools　may　be　occupied　with　work　that　is　of



substantial　use；　and　while　they　may　draw　more　or　less　extensively



on　the　sciences　for　their　materials　and　even　for　their　methods；



they　can　not；　for　all　that；　claim　standing　in　the　university　on



the　ground　of　that　disinterested　intellectual　enterprise　which　is



the　university's　peculiar　domain。



　　　　The　professional　knowledge　and　skill　of　physicians；　surgeons；



dentists；　pharmacists；　agriculturists；　engineers　of　all　kinds；



perhaps　even　of　journalists；　is　of　some　use　to　the　community　at



large；　at　the　same　time　that　it　may　be　profitable　to　the　bearers



of　it。　The　community　has　a　substantial　interest　in　the　adequate



training　of　these　men；　although　it　is　not　that　intellectual



interest　that　attaches　to　science　and　scholarship。　But　such　is



not　the　case　with　the　training　designed　to　give　proficiency　in



business。　No　gain　comes　to　the　community　at　large　from　increasing



the　business　proficiency　of　any　number　of　its　young　men。　There



are　already　much　too　many　of　these　businessmen；　much　too　astute



and　proficient　in　their　calling；　for　the　common　good。　A　higher



average　business　efficiency　simply　raises　activity　and　avidity　in



business　to　a　higher　average　pitch　of　skill　and　fervour；　with



very　little　other　material　result　than　a　redistribution　of



ownership；　since　business　is　occupied　with　the　competitive



wealth；　not　with　its　production。　It　is　only　by　a　euphemistic



metaphor　that　we　are　accustomed　to　speak　of　the　businessmen　as



producers　of　goods。　Gains　due　to　such　efficiency　are　differential



gains　only。　They　are　a　differential　as　against　other　businessmen



on　the　one　hand；　and　as　against　the　rest　of　the　community　on　the



other　hand。　The　work　of　the　College　of　Commerce；　accordingly；　is



a　peculiarly　futile　line　of　endeavour　for　any　public　institution；



in　that　it　serves　neither　the　intellectual　advancement　nor　the



material　welfare　of　the　community。



　　　　The　greater　the　number　and　the　higher　the　proficiency　of　the



community's　businessmen；　other　things　equal；　the　worse　must　the



rest　of　the　community　come　off　in　that　game　of　skilled　bargaining



and　shrewd　management　by　which　the　businessmen　get　their　gains。



Gratuitous　or　partly　gratuitous　training　for　business　will



presumably　increase　the　number　of　highly　proficient　businessmen。



As　the　old…fashioned　economists　would　express　it；　it　will



increase　the　number　of　〃middlemen；〃　of　men　who　〃live　by　their



wits。〃　At　the　same　time　it　should　presumably　increase　the　average



efficiency　of　this　increased　number。　The　outcome　should　be　that



the　resulting　body　of　businessmen　will　be　able；　between　them；　to



secure　a　larger　proportion　of　the　aggregate　wealth　of　the



community；　leaving　the　rest　of　the　community　poorer　by　that



much；except　for　that　（extremely　doubtful）　amount　by　which　shrewd



business　management　is　likely　to　increase　the　material



wealth…producing　capacity　of　the　community。　Any　such　presumed



increase　of　wealth…producing　capacity　is　an　incidental



concomitant　of　business　traffic；　and　in　the　nature　of　the　case　it



can　not　equal　the　aggregate　increased　gain　that　goes　to　the



businessmen。　At　the　best　the　question　as　to　the　effect　which　such



an　aggregate　increased　business　efficiency　will　have　on　the



community's　material　welfare　is　a　question　of　how　large　the　net



loss　will　be；　that　it　will　entail　a　net　loss　on　the　community　at



large　is　in　fact　not　an　open　question。



　　　　A　college　of　commerce　is　designed　to　serve　an　emulative



purpose　only　　individual　gain　regardless　of；　or　at　the　cost　of；



the　community　at　large　　and　it　is；　therefore；　peculiarly



incompatible　with　the　collective　cultural　purpose　of　the



university。　It　belongs　in　the　corporation　of　learning　no　more



than　a　department　of　athletics。（10*）　Both　alike　give　training



that　is　of　no　use　to　the　community；except；　perhaps；　as　a



sentimental　excitement。　Neither　business　proficiency　nor



proficiency　in　athletic　contests　need　be　decried；　of　course。　They



have　their　value；　to　the　businessmen　and　to　the　athletes；



respectively；　chiefly　as　a　means　of　livelihood　at　the　cost　of　the



rest　of　the　community；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　they　are



worth　while　to　those　who　go　in　for　that　sort　of　thing。　Both　alike



are　related　to　the　legitimate　ends　of　the　university　as　a　drain



on　its　resources　and　an　impairment　of　its　scholarly　animus。　As



related　to　the　ostensible　purposes　of　a　university；　therefore；



the　support　and　conduct　of　such　schools　at　the　expense　of　the



universities　is　to　be　construed　as　a　breach　of　trust。



　　　　What　has　just　been　said　of　the　schools　of　commerce　is；　of



course；　true　also　of　the　other　training　schools　comprised　in　this



latterday　university　policy；　in　the　degree　in　which　these　others



aim　at　the　like　emulative　and　unscholarly　results。　It　holds　true



of　the　law　schools；　e。　g。；　typically　and　more　largely　than　of　the



generality　of　professional　and　technical　schools。　Both　in　point



of　the　purely　competitive　value　of　their　training　and　of　the



unscientific　character　of　their　work；　the　law　schools　are　in　very



much　the　same　case　as　the　schools　of　commerce；　and；　no　doubt；　the



accepted　inclusion　of　law　schools　in　the　university　corporation



has　made　the　intrusion　of　the　schools　of　commerce　much　easier



than　it　otherwise　would　have　been。　The　law　school's　inclusion　in



the　university　corporation　has　the　countenance　of　ancient



tradition；　it　comes　down　as　an　authentic　usage　from　the　mediaeval



era　of　European　education；　and　from　the　pre…history　of　the



American　universities。　But　in　point　of　substantial　merit　the　law



school　belongs　in　the　modern　university　no　more　than　a　school　of



fencing　or　dancing。　This　is　particularly　true　of　the　American　law



schools；　in　which　the　Austinian　conception　of　law　is　followed；



and　it　is　more　particularly　true　the　more　consistently　the　〃case



method〃　is　adhered　to。　These　schools　devote　themselves　with　great



singleness　to　the　training　of　practitioners；　as　distinct　from



jurists；　and　their　teachers　stand　in　a　relation　to　their　students



analogous　to　that　in　which　the　〃coaches〃　stand　to　the　athletes。



What　is　had　in　view　is　the　exigencies；　expedients　and　strategy　of



successful　practice；　and　not　so　much　a　grasp　of　even　those



quasi…scientific　articles　of　metaphysics　that　lie　at　the　root　of



the　legal　system。　What　is　required　and　inculcated　in　the　way　of　a



knowledge　of　these　elements　of　law　is　a　familiarity　with　their



strategic　use。



　　　　The　profession　of　the　Law　is；　of　course；　an　honourable



profession；　and　it　is　doubtless　believed　by　its　apologists　to　be



a　useful　profession；　on　the　whole；　but　a　body　of　lawyers　somewhat



less　numerous；　and　with　a　lower　average　proficiency　in　legal



subtleties　and　expedients；　would　unquestionably　be　quite　as



serviceable　to　the　community　at　large　as　a　larger　number　of　such



men　with　a　higher　efficiency；　at　the　same　time　they　would　be　less



costly；　both　as　to　initial　cost　and　as　to　the　expenses　of



maintenance　that　come　of　that　excessive　volume　and　retardation　of



litigation　due　to　an　extreme　facility　in　legal　technique　on　the



part　of　the　members　of　the　bar。



　　　　It　will　also　be　found　true　that　both　the　schools　of　law　and



those　of　commerce；　and　in　a　less　degree　the　other　vocational



schools；　serve　the　advantage　of　one　class　as　against　another。　In



the　measure　in　which　these　schools　accomplish　what　they　aim　at；



they　increase　the　advantage　of　such　men　as　already　have　some



advantage　over　the　common　run。　The　instruction　is　half…way



gratuitous；　that　is　the　purpose　of　placing　these　schoo