按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of the further growth of modern civilization； and the character
of this later growth of the university reflects the bent of
modern civilization； as contrasted with the barbarian spirit of
things in the mediaeval spiritual world。
In a general way； the place of the university in the culture
of Christendom is still substantially the same as it has been
from the beginning。 Ideally； and in the popular apprehension； it
is； as it has always been； a corporation for the cultivation and
care of the community's highest aspirations and ideals。 But these
ideals and aspirations have changed somewhat with the changing
scheme of the Western civilization； and so the university has
also concomitantly so changed in character； aims and ideals as to
leave it still the corporate organ of the community's dominant
intellectual interest。 At the same time； it is true； these
changes in the purpose and spirit of the university have always
been； and are always being； made only tardily； reluctantly；
concessively； against the protests of those who are zealous for
the commonplaces of the day before yesterday。 Such is the
character of institutional growth and change； and in its
adaptation to the altered requirements of an altered scheme of
culture the university has in this matter been subject to the
conditions of institutional growth at large。 An institution is；
after all； a prevalent habit of thought； and as such it is
subject to the conditions and limitations that surround any
change in the habitual frame of mind prevalent in the community。
The university of medieval and early modern times； that is to
say the barbarian university； was necessarily given over to the
pragmatic； utilitarian disciplines； since that is the nature of
barbarism； and the barbarian university is but another； somewhat
sublimated； expression of the same barbarian frame of mind。 The
barbarian culture is pragmatic； utilitarian； worldly wise； and
its learning partakes of the same complexion。 The barbarian； late
or early； is typically an unmitigated pragmatist； that is the
spiritual trait that most profoundly marks him off from the
savage on the one hand and from the civilized man on the other
hand。 〃He turns a keen； untroubled face home to the instant need
of things。〃
The high era of barbarism in Europe； the Dark and Middle
Ages； is marked off from what went before and from what has
followed in the cultural sequence； by a hard and fast utilitarian
animus。 The all…dominating spiritual trait of those times is that
men then made the means of life its end。 It is perhaps needless
to call to mind that much of this animus still survives in later
civilized life； especially in so far as the scheme of civilized
life is embodied in the competitive system。 In that earlier time；
practical sagacity and the serviceability of any knowledge
acquired； its bearing on individual advantage； spiritual or
temporal； was the ruling consideration； as never before or since。
The best of men in that world were not ashamed to avow that a
boundless solicitude for their own salvation was their worthiest
motive of conduct； and it is plain in all their speculations that
they were unable to accept any other motive or sanction as final
in any bearing。 Saint and sinner alike knew no higher rule than
expediency； for this world and the next。 And； for that matter； so
it still stands with the saint and the sinner； who make up
much of the commonplace human material in the modern community；
although both the saint and the sinner in the modern community
carry； largely by shamefaced subreption； an ever increasing
side…line of other and more genial interests that have no merit
in point of expediency whether for this world or the next。
Under the rule of such a cultural ideal the corporation of
learning could not well take any avowed stand except as an
establishment for utilitarian instruction； the practical
expediency of whose work was the sole overt test of its
competency。 And such it still should continue to be according to
the avowed aspirations of the staler commonplace elements in the
community today。 By subreption； and by a sophisticated
subsumption under some ostensibly practical line of interest and
inquiry； it is true； the university men of the earlier time spent
much of their best endeavour on matters of disinterested
scholarship that had no bearing on any human want more to the
point than an idle curiosity； and by a similar turn of subreption
and sophistication the later spokesmen of the barbarian ideal
take much complacent credit for the 〃triumphs of modern science〃
that have nothing but an ostensible bearing on any matter of
practical expediency； and they look to the universities to
continue this work of the idle curiosity under some plausible
pretext of practicality。
So the university of that era unavoidably came to be
organized as a more or less comprehensive federation of
professional schools or faculties devoted to such branches of
practical knowledge as the ruling utilitarian interests of the
time demanded。 Under this overshadowing barbarian tradition the
universities of early modern times started out as an avowed
contrivance for indoctrination in the ways and means of
salvation； spiritual and temporal； individual and collective；
in some sort a school of engineering； primarily in divinity；
secondarily in law and politics； and presently in medicine and
also in the other professions that serve a recognized utilitarian
interest。 After that fashion of a university that answered to
this manner of ideals and aspirations had once been installed and
gained a secure footing； its pattern acquired a degree of
authenticity and prescription； so that later seminaries of
learning came unquestioningly to be organized on the same lines；
and further changes of academic policy and practice； such as are
demanded by the later growth of cultural interests and ideals；
have been made only reluctantly and with a suspicious reserve；
gradually and by a circuitous sophistication； so that much of the
non…utilitarian scientific and scholarly work indispensable to
the university's survival under modern conditions is still
scheduled under the faculties of law or medicine； or even of
divinity。
But the human propensity for inquiry into things；
irrespective of use or expediency； insinuated itself among the
expositors of worldly wisdom from the outset； and from the first
this quest of idle learning has sought shelter in the university
as the only establishment in which it could find a domicile； e