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the higher learning in america-第18章

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5。 Cf。; Geo。 T。 Ladd; University Control; p。 349。







6。 Cf。; e。g。; J。 McKeen Cattell; University Control; Part III;



ch。 V。; 〃Concerning the American University。〃 〃The university is



those who teach and those who learn and the work they do。〃 〃The



university is its men and their work。 But certain externals are



necessary or at least usual  buildings and equipment; a



president and trustees。〃



    〃The papers by other writers associated with Mr Cattell in



this volume run to the same effect whenever they touch the same



topic; and; indeed; it would be difficult to find a deliberate



expression to the contrary among men entitled to speak in these



premises。



    It may be in place to add here that the volume referred to;



on University Control; has been had in mind throughout the



following analysis and has served as ground and material for much



of the argument。







7。 Cf。 The Instinct of Workmanship; ch。 vi; vii。







8。 With the current reactionary trend of things political and



civil toward mediaeval…barbarian policies and habits of thought



in the Fatherland; something of a correlative change has also



latterly come in evidence in the German universities; so that



what is substantially 〃cameralistic science〃  training and



information for prospective civil servants and police magistrates



is in some appreciable measure displacing disinterested inquiry



in the field of economics and political theory。 This is



peculiarly true of those corporations of learning that come



closely in touch with the Cultus Ministerium。







9。 Cf。 〃Some Considerations On the Function of the State



University。〃 (Inaugural Address of Edmund Janes James; Ph。D。;



LL。D。); Science; November 17; 1905。











CHAPTER II







The Governing Boards







    In the working theory of the modern civilized community; 



that is to say in the current common…sense apprehension of what



is right and good; as it works out in the long run;  the



university is a corporation of learning; disinterested and



dispassionate。 To its keeping is entrusted the community's joint



interest in esoteric knowledge。 It is given over to the



single…minded pursuit of science and scholarship; without



afterthought and without a view to interests subsidiary or



extraneous to the higher learning。 It is; indeed; the one great



institution of modern times that works to no ulterior end and is



controlled by no consideration of expediency beyond its own work。



Typically; normally; in point of popular theory; the university



is moved by no consideration other than 〃the increase and



diffusion of knowledge among men。〃 This is so because this



profitless quest of knowledge has come to be the highest and



ulterior aim of modern culture。



    Such has been the case; increasingly; for some generations



past; but it is not until quite recently that such a statement



would hold true unequivocally and with an unqualified generality。



That the case stands so today is due to the failure of



theoretical interests of a different kind; directly and



immediately it is due to the fact that in the immediate present



the cult of knowledge has; by default; taken over that primacy



among human interests which an eschatologically thrifty religious



sentiment once held in the esteem of Christendom。 So long as the



fear of God still continued to move the generality of civilized



men in sufficient measure; their theoretical knowledge was



organized for 〃the glory of God and the good of man;〃  the



latter phrase being taken in the eschatological sense; and so



long the resulting scheme of learning was laid out and cultivated



with an eye to the main chance in a hereafter given over; in the



main and for its major effect; to pains and penalties。 With the



latterday dissipation of this fear of God; the scheme of



knowledge handed down out of a devout past and further amplified



in the (theoretically) Godless present; has; by atrophy of



disuse; lost its ulterior view to such spiritual expediency; and



has come to stand over as an output of intellectual enterprise



working under the impulsion and guidance of an idle curiosity



simply。 All this may not be much to the credit of civilized



mankind; but dispassionate reflection will not leave the fact in



doubt。 And the outcome for the university; considered as an



institution of this modern culture; is such as this conjuncture



of circumstances will require。



    But while such is the dispassionate working theory; the



long…term drift of modern common sense as touches the work of the



university; it is also a matter of course that this ideally



single…minded course of action has never been realized in any



concrete case。 While it holds true; by and large; that modern



Christendom has outlived the fear of God;  that is to say of



〃the Pope; the Turk; and the Devil;〃  it does not therefore



follow that men take a less instant interest in the affairs of



life; or carry on the traffic of their lives with a less alert



eye to the main chance; than they once did under the habitual



shadow of that barbarian fear。 The difference is; for the purpose



in hand; that the same solicitous attention that once converged



on such an avoidance of ulterior consequences now centres on



questions of present ways and means。 Worldly wisdom has not



fallen into decay or abeyance; but it has become a wisdom of ways



and means that lead to nothing beyond further ways and means。



Expediency and practical considerations have come to mean



considerations of a pecuniary kind; good; on the whole; for



pecuniary purposes only; that is to say; gain and expenditure for



the sake of further gain and expenditure; with nothing that will



stand scrutiny as a final term to this traffic in ways and means;



 except only this cult of the idle curiosity to which the seats



of learning are; in theory; dedicate。 But unremitting habituation



to the competitive pursuit of ways and means has determined that



〃practical〃 interests of this complexion rule workday life in the



modern community throughout; and they are therefore so intimately



and ubiquitously bound up with current habits of thought; and



have so strong and immediate a hold on current workday sentiment;



that; hitherto; in no case have the seats of learning been able



to pursue their quest of knowledge with anything like that



single…mindedness which academic men are moved to profess in



their moments of academic elation。



    Some one vital interest of this practical sort; some variant



of the quest of gain; is always at hand and strenuously effective



in the community's li
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