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very prone to evade the issue by dwelling on accessory and
subsidiary considerations that do not substantially touch the
question of trained capacity for the conduct of business
affairs。（5*） The apologists commonly shift from the undebatable
ground of the higher learning as related to business success； to
the more defensible ground of the undergraduate curriculum；
considered as introductory to those social amenities that devolve
on the successful man of business； and in so far as they confine
themselves to the topic of education and business they commonly
spend their efforts in arguing for the business utility of the
training afforded by the professional and technical schools；
included within the university corporation or otherwise。 There is
ground for their contention in so far as 〃university training〃 is
（by subreption） taken to mean training in those 〃practical〃
branches of knowledge （Law； Politics； Accountancy； etc。） that
have a place within the university precincts only by force of a
non…sequitur。 And the spokesmen for these views are commonly
also； and significantly； eager to make good their contention by
advocating the introduction of an increased proportion of these
〃practical〃 subjects into the schedule of instruction。
The facts are notorious and leave little room for cavil on
the merits of the case。 Particularly is the award of the facts
unequivocal in America； the native ground of the self…made
businessman； and at the same time the most admirably
thorough…paced business community extant。 The American business
community is well enough as it is； without the higher learning；
and it is fully sensible that the higher learning is not a
business proposition。
But a good rule works both ways。 If scholarly and scientific
training； such as may without shame be included under the caption
of the higher learning； unfits men for business efficiency； then
the training that comes of experience in business must also be
held to unfit men for scholarly and scientific pursuits； and even
more pronouncedly for the surveillance of such pursuits。 The
circumstantial evidence for the latter proposition is neither
less abundant nor less unequivocal than for the former。 If the
higher learning is incompatible with business shrewdness；
business enterprise is； by the same token； incompatible with the
spirit of the higher learning。 Indeed； within the ordinary range
of lawful occupations these two lines of endeavour； and the
animus that belongs to each； are as widely out of touch as may
be。 They are the two extreme terms of the modern cultural scheme；
although at the same time each is intrinsic and indispensable to
the scheme of modern civilization as it runs。 With the excision
or serious crippling of either； Western Civilization would suffer
a dislocation amounting to a revolutionary change。
On the other hand； the higher learning and the spirit of
scientific inquiry have much in common with modern industry and
its technological discipline。 More particularly is there a close
bond of sympathy and relationship between the spirit of
scientific inquiry and the habit of mind enforced by the
mechanical industries of the modern kind。 In both of these lines
of activity men are occupied with impersonal facts and deal with
them in a matter…of…fact way。 In both； as far as may be； the
personal equation is sought to be eliminated； discounted and
avoided； so as to leave no chance for discrepancies due to
personal infirmity or predilection。 But it is only on its
mechanical side that the industrial organization so comes in
touch with modern science and the pursuit of matter…of…fact
knowledge； and it is only in so far as their habits of thought
are shaped by the discipline of the mechanical industries that
there is induced in the industrial population the same bent as
goes to further or to appreciate the work of modern science。 But
it would be quite nugatory to suggest that the governing boards
of the universities should be made up of； or should comprise；
impecunious technologists and engineers。
There is no similar bond of consanguinity between the
business occupations and the scientific spirit； except so far as
regards those clerical and subaltern employments that lie wholly
within the mechanical routine of business traffic； and even as
regards these employments and the persons so occupied it is； at
the most； doubtful whether their training does not after all
partake more of that astute and invidious character of cunning
that belongs to the conduct of business affairs than of the
dispassionate animus of scientific inquiry。
These extenuating considerations do not touch the case of
that body of businessmen； in the proper sense of the term； from
which the membership of the governing boards is drawn。 The
principles that rule business enterprise of that larger and
pecuniarily effectual sort are a matter of usage； appraisement；
contractual arrangement and strategic manoeuvres。 They are the
principles of a game of competitive guessing and pecuniary
coercion； a game carried on wholly within the limits of the
personal equation； and depending for its movement and effect on
personal discrepancies of judgment。 Science has to do with the
opaquely veracious sequence of cause and effect； and it deals
with the facts of this sequence without mental reservation or
ulterior purposes of expediency。 Business enterprise proceeds on
ulterior purposes and calculations of expediency； it depends on
shrewd expedients and lives on the margin of error； on the
fluctuating margin of human miscalculation。 The training given by
these two lines of endeavour science and business is wholly
divergent； with the notorious result that for the purposes of
business enterprise the scientists are the most ignorant；
gullible and incompetent class in the community。 They are not
only passively out of touch with the business spirit； out of
training by neglect； but they are also positively trained out of
the habit of mind indispensable to business enterprise。 The
converse is true of the men of business affairs。（6*）
Plato's classic scheme of folly； which would have the
philosophers take over the management of affairs； has been turned
on its head； the men of affairs have taken over the direction of
the pursuit of knowledge。 To any one who will take a
dispassionate look at this modern arrangement it looks foolish；
of course； ingeniously foolish； but； also； of course； there is
no help for it and no prospect of its abatement in the calculable
future。