the higher learning in america-第68章

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irretrievably　so；　because　both　are　now　committed　to　so　large　and



exacting　a　volume　of　obligations　and　liabilities；　legal　and



customary；　extraneous　and　alien　to　their　legitimate　interest；



that　there　is　no　longer　a　reasonable　chance　of　their　coming　to



anything　of　serious　import　in　the　way　of　the　higher　learning；



even；　conceivably；　under　the　most　enlightened　management　in　the



calculable　future。　In　their　bootless　chase　after　a　blameless



publicity；　both　have　sunk　their　endowment　in　conspicuous　real



estate；　vocational；　technical　and　accessory　schools；　and　the　like



academic　side…issues；　to　such　an　extent　as　to　leave　them　without



means　to　pursue　their　legitimate　end　in　any　adequate　manner；　even



if　they　should　harbour　an　effectual　inclination　to　pursue



it。（13*）



　　　　These　remarks　on　the　typical　traits　of　the　academic　executive



have　unavoidably　taken　the　colour　of　personalities。　That　such　is



the　case　should　by　no　means　be　taken　as　intentionally　reflecting



anything　like　dispraise　on　those　persons　who　have　this



（unavoidable）　work　of　stultification　in　hand。　Rather；　it　is



dispassionately　to　be　gathered　from　the　run　of　the　facts　as　set



out　above　that　those　persons　on　whom　these　exigencies　impinge



will；　by　force　of　habituation；　necessarily　come　to　take　the　bent



which　these　current　conditions　enforce；　and　without　which　this



work　could　not　well　be　done；　all　on　the　supposition　　and　it　is



by　no　means　an　extravagant　assumption　　that　these　persons　so



exposed　to　these　agencies　of　spiritual　disintegration　are　by



native　gift　endowed　with　the　commonplace　traits　of　human　nature；



no　more　and　no　less。　It　is　the　duties　of　the　office；　not　a　run　of



infirmities　peculiar　to　the　incumbents　of　office；　that　make　the



outcome。　Very　much　like　that　of　the　medicine…man；　the　office　is



one　which　will　not　abide　a　tolerant　and　ingenuous　incumbent。（14*）







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V







　　　　In　all　the　above　argument　and　exposition；　touching　the



executive　office　and　its　administrative　duties；　the　point　of　the



discussion　is；　of　course；　not　the　personal　characteristics　of　the



typical　executive；　nor　even　the　spiritual　fortunes　of　the　persons



exposed　to　the　wear　and　tear　of　executive　office；　although　these



matters　might　well　engage　the　attention　of　any　one　given　to



moralizing。　The　point　is；　of　course；　that　precarious　situation　in



which　the　university；　considered　as　a　corporation　of　the　higher



learning；　is　placed　under　these　current　conditions；　and　the



manner　in　which　these　current　conditions　give　rise　to　this



situation。　Seen　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　higher　learning；



and　disregarding　considerations　extraneous　to　that　interest；　it



is　evident　that　this　run　of　events；　and　the　conditions　which



determine　them；　are　wholly　untoward；　not　to　say　disastrous。



　　　　Now；　this　inquiry　is　nowise　concerned　to　reform；　deflect　or



remedy　this　current　drift　of　things　academic　away　from　the



ancient　holding　ground　of　the　higher　learning；　partly　because



such　an　enterprise　in　reform　and　rehabilitation　lies　beyond　its



competence；　and　partly；　again；　because　in　all　this　current　move



to　displace　the　higher　learning　there　may　conceivably　be　other



ends　involved；　which　may　be　worth　while　in　some　other　bearing



that　is　alien　to　the　higher　learning　but　of　graver　consequence



for　the　fortunes　of　the　race；　　urgent　needs　which　can　only　be



served　by　so　diverting　effort　and　attention　from　this　pursuit。



Yet；　partly　out　of　a　reasonable　deference　to　the　current



prejudice　that　any　mere　negative　criticism　and　citation　of



grievances　is　nothing　better　than　an　unworthy　experiment　in



irritation；　and　more　particularly　as　a　means　to　a　more　adequate



appreciation　of　the　rigorous　difficulties　inherent　in　this



current　state　and　drift　of　things；　it　may　not　be　out　of　place　to



offer　some　consideration　of　remedial　measures　that　have　been



attempted　or　projected；　or　that　may　be　conceived　to　promise　a　way



out。



　　　　As　is　well　known；　divers　and　various　remedial　measures　have



been　advocated　by　critics　of　current　university　affairs；　from



time　to　time；　and　it　is　equally　evident　on　reflection　that　these



proposed　remedial　measures　are　with　fair　uniformity　directed　to



the　treatment　of　symptoms；　　to　relieve　agitation　and　induce



insensibility。　However；　there　is　at　least　one　line　of



aggressively　remedial　action　that　is　being　tried；　though　not



avowedly　as　a　measure　to　bring　the　universities　into　line　with



their　legitimate　duties；　but　rather　with　a　view　to　relieving　them



of　this　work　which　they　are　no　longer　fit　to　take　care　of。　It　is



a　move　designed　to　shift　the　seat　of　the　higher　learning　out　of



the　precincts　of　the　schools。　And　the　desperate　case　of　the



universities；　considered　as　seminaries　of　science　and



scholarship；　is　perhaps　more　forcibly　brought　in　evidence　by　what



is　in　this　way　taking　place　in　the　affairs　of　learning　outside



the　schools　than　by　their　visible　failure　to　take　care　of　their



own　work。　This　evidence　goes　to　say　that　the　difficulties　of　the



academic　situation　are　insurmountable；　any　rehabilitation　of　the



universities　is　not　contemplated　in　this　latterday　movement。　And



it　is　so　coming　to　be　recognized；　in　effect　though　tacitly；　that



for　all　their　professions　of　a　single…minded　addiction　to　the



pursuit　of　learning；　the　academic　establishments；　old　and　new；



are　no　longer　competent　to　take　the　direction　of　affairs　in　this



domain。



　　　　So　it　is　that；　with　a　sanguine　hope　born　of　academic　defeat；



there　have　latterly　been　founded　certain　large　establishments；　of



the　nature　of　retreats　or　shelters　for　the　prosecution　of



scientific　and　scholarly　inquiry　in　some　sort　of　academic



quarantine；　detached　from　all　academic　affiliation　and　renouncing



all　share　in　the　work　of　instruction。　In　point　of　form　the



movement　is　not　altogether　new。　Foundations　of　a　similar　aim　have



been　had　before。　But　the　magnitude　and　comprehensive　aims　of　the



new　establishments　are　such　as　to　take　them　out　of　the　category



of　auxiliaries　and　throw　them　into　the　lead。　They　are　assuming　to



take　over　the　advance　in　science　and　scholarship；　which　has　by



tradition　belonged　under　the　tutelage　of　the　academic　community。



This　move　looks　like　a　desperate　surrender　of　the　university



ideal。　The　reason　for　it　appears　to　be　the　proven　inability　of



the　schools；　under　competitive　management；　to　take　care　of　the



pursuit　of　knowledge。



　　　　Seen　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　higher　learning；　this　new



departure；　as　well　as　the　apparent　need　of　it；　is　to　be　rated　as



untoward；　and　it　reflects　gravely　enough　on　the　untoward



condition　into　which　the　rule　of　business　principles　is　leading



the　American　schools。　Such　establishments　of　research　are



capable；　in　any　competent　manner；　of　serving　only　one　of　the　two



joint　purposes　necessary　to　be　served　by　any　effective　seminary



of　the　higher　learning；　nor　can　they　at　all　adequately　serve　this



one　purpose　to　the　best　advantage　when　so　disjoined　from　its



indispensable　correlate。　By　and　large；　these　new　establishments



are　good　for　research　only；　not　for　instruction；　or　at　the　best



they　can　serve　this　latter　purpose　only　as　a　more　or　less



Surreptitious　or　supererogatory　side　interest。　Should　they；　under



pressure　of　instant　need；　turn　their　forces　to　instruction　as



well　as　to　inquiry；　they　would　incontinently　find　themselves



drifting　into　the　same　equivocal　position　as　the　universities；



and　the　dry…rot　of　business　principles　and　competitive　gentility



would　presently　consume　their　tissues　after　the　same　fas