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！
business principles converge； and in which they find their
consummate expression； even though it is broadly to be
recognized and taken account of that such is the deliberate
appraisal awarded by the common sense of civilized mankind。 The
profit and loss here spoken for is not profit and loss； to
mankind or to any given community； in respect of that inclusive
complex of interests that makes up the balanced total of good and
ill； it is profit and loss for the cause of learning； simply； and
there is here no aspiration to pass on ulterior questions。 As
required by the exigencies of such an argument； it is therefore
assumed； pro forma； that profit and loss for the pursuit of
learning is profit and loss without reservation； very much as a
corporation accountant will audit income and outlay within the
affairs of the corporation； whereas； qua accountant； he will
perforce have nothing to say as to the ulterior expediency of the
corporation and its affairs in any other bearing。
I
Business principles take effect in academic affairs most
simply； obviously and avowably in the way of a businesslike
administration of the scholastic routine； where they lead
immediately to a bureaucratic organization and a system of
scholastic accountancy。 In one form or another； some such
administrative machinery is a necessity in any large school that
is to be managed on a centralized plan； as the American schools
commonly are； and as； more particularly； they aim to be。 This
necessity is all the more urgent in a school that takes over the
discipline of a large body of pupils that have not reached years
of discretion； as is also commonly the case with those American
schools that claim rank as universities； and the necessity is all
the more evident to men whose ideal of efficiency is the
centralized control exercised through a system of accountancy in
the modern large business concerns。 The larger American schools
are primarily undergraduate establishments； with negligible
exceptions； and under these current American conditions； of
excessive numbers； such a centralized and bureaucratic
administration appears to be indispensable for the adequate
control of immature and reluctant students； at the same time；
such an organization conduces to an excessive size。 The immediate
and visible effect of such a large and centralized administrative
machinery is； on the whole； detrimental to scholarship； even in
the undergraduate work； though it need not be so in all respects
and unequivocally； so far as regards that routine training that
is embodied in the undergraduate curriculum。 But it is at least a
necessary evil in any school that is of so considerable a size as
to preclude substantially all close or cordial personal relations
between the teachers and each of these immature pupils under
their charge； as； again； is commonly the case with these American
undergraduate establishments。 Such a system of authoritative
control； standardization； gradation； accountancy； classification；
credits and penalties； will necessarily be drawn on stricter
lines the more the school takes on the character of a house of
correction or a penal settlement； in which the irresponsible
inmates are to be held to a round of distasteful tasks and
restrained from （conventionally） excessive irregularities of
conduct。 At the same time this recourse to such coercive control
and standardization of tasks has unavoidably given the schools
something of the character of a penal settlement。
As intimated above； the ideal of efficiency by force of which
a large…scale centralized organization commends itself in these
premises is that pattern of shrewd management whereby a large
business concern makes money。 The underlying business…like
presumption accordingly appears to be that learning is a
merchantable commodity； to be Produced on a piece…rate plan；
rated； bought and sold by standard units； measured； counted and
reduced to staple equivalence by impersonal； mechanical tests。 In
all its bearings the work is hereby reduced to a mechanistic；
statistical consistency； with numerical standards and units；
which conduces to perfunctory and mediocre wOrk throughout； and
acts to deter both students and teachers from a free pursuit of
knowledge； as contrasted with the pursuit of academic credits。 So
far as this mechanistic system goes freely into effect it leads
to a substitution of salesmanlike proficiency a balancing of
bargains in staple credits in the place of scientific capacity
and addiction to study。
The salesmanlike abilities and the men of affairs that so are
drawn into the academic personnel are； presumably； somewhat under
grade in their kind； since the pecuniary inducement offered by
the schools is rather low as compared with the remuneration for
office work of a similar character in the common run of business
occupations； and since businesslike employees of this kind may
fairly be presumed to go unreservedly to the highest bidder。 Yet
these more unscholarly members of the staff will necessarily be
assigned the more responsible and discretionary positions in the
academic organization； since under such a scheme of
standardization； accountancy and control； the school becomes
primarily a bureaucratic organization； and the first and
unremitting duties of the staff are those of official management
and accountancy。 The further qualifications requisite in the
members of the academic staff will be such as make for
vendibility； volubility； tactful effrontery； conspicuous
conformity to the popular taste in all matters of opinion； usage
and conventions。
The need of such a businesslike organization asserts itself
in somewhat the same degree in which the academic policy is
guided by considerations of magnitude and statistical renown； and
this in turn is somewhat closely correlated with the extent of
discretionary power exercised by the captain of erudition placed
in control。 At the same time； by provocation of the facilities
which it offers for making an impressive demonstration； such
bureaucratic organization will lead the university management to
bend its energies with somewhat more singleness to the parade of
magnitude and statistical gains。 It also； and in the same
connection； provokes to a persistent and detailed surveillance
and direction of the work and manner of life of the academic
staff； and so it acts to shut off initiative of any kind in the
work done。（1*）
Intimately bound up with this bureaucratic officialism a