the higher learning in america-第12节

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！









　　　　Since　the　paragraphs　that　make　up　the　foregoing　chapter　were



written　the　American　academic　community　has　been　thrown　into　a



new　and　peculiar　position　by　the　fortunes　of　war。　The　progress



and　the　further　promise　of　the　war　hold　in　prospect　new　and



untried　responsibilities；　as　well　as　an　unexampled　opportunity。



So　that　the　outlook　now　（June　1918）　would　seem　to　be　that　the



Americans　are　to　be　brought　into　a　central　place　in　the　republic



of　learning；　to　take　a　position；　not　so　much　of　dominance　as　of



trust　and　guardianship；　not　so　much　by　virtue　of　their　own



superior　merit　as　by　force　of　the　insolvency　of　the　European



academic　community。



　　　　Again；　it　is　not　that　the　war　is　expected　to　leave　the　lines



of　European　scholars　and　scientists　extinct；　although　there　is　no



denying　the　serious　inroads　made　by　the　war；　both　in　the　way　of　a



high　mortality　among　European　men　of　learning；　and　in　the　way　of



a　decimation　of　the　new　men　on　whom　the　hopes　of　the　higher



learning　for　the　incoming　generation　should　have　rested。　There　is



also　a　serious　diversion　of　the　young　forces　from　learning　to



transiently　urgent　matters　of　a　more　material；　and　more　ephemeral



nature。　But　possibly　more　sinister　than　all　these　losses　that　are



in　a　way　amenable　to　statistical　record　and　estimate；　is　the



current　and　prospective　loss　of　morale。



　　　　Naturally；　it　would　be　difficult　and　hazardous　to　offer　an



appraisal　of　this　prospective　loss　of　morale；　with　which　it　is　to



be　expected　that　the　disintegrated　European　community　of　learned



men　will　come　through　the　troubled　times。　But　that　there　is　much



to　be　looked　for　on　this　score；　that　there　is　much　to　be　written



off　in　the　way　of　lowered　aggregate　efficiency　and　loss　of　the



spirit　of　team…work；　　that　much　there　is　no　denying；　and　it　is



useless　to　blink　the　fact。



　　　　There　has　already　a　good　deal　of　disillusionment　taken　effect



throughout　the　nations　of　Christendom　in　respect　of　the　temper



and　trustworthiness　of　German　scholarship　these　past　three　or



four　years；　and　it　is　fairly　beyond　computation　what　further



shift　of　sentiment　in　this　respect　is　to　be　looked　for　in　the



course　of　a　further　Possible　period　of　years　given　over　to　the



same　line　of　experience。　Doubtless；　the　German　scholars；　and



therefore　the　German　seats　of　learning　whose　creatures　and　whose



custodians　these　German　scholars　are；　have　earned　much　of　the



distrust　and　dispraise　that　is　falling　to　their　share。　There　is



no　overlooking　the　fact　that　they　have　proved　the　frailty　of



their　hold　on　those　elementary　principles　of　sobriety　and　single



mind　that　underlie　all　sound　work　in　the　field　of　learning。　To



any　one　who　has　the　interest　of　the　higher　learning　at　heart；　the



spectacle　of　maudlin　chauvinism　and　inflated　scurrility



unremittingly　placed　on　view　by　the　putative　leaders　of　German



science　and　scholarship　can　not　but　be　exceedingly　disheartening。



　　　　It　may　be　argued；　and　it　may　be　true；　of　course；　that　much　of



this　failure　of　intelligence　and　spiritual　force　among　Germany's



men　of　learning　is　of　the　nature　of　a　transient　eclipse　of　their



powers；　that　with　the　return　of　settled　conditions　there　is　due



to　come　a　return　of　poise　and　insight。　But　when　all　due　argument



has　been　heard；　it　remains　true　that　the　distrust　set　afoot　in



the　mind　of　their　neighbours；　by　this　highly　remarkable



exhibition　of　their　personal　equation；　will　long　inure　to　the



disability　of　Germany's　men　of　learning　as　a　force　to　be　counted



on　in　that　teamwork　that　is　of　the　essence　of　things　for　the



advancement　of　learning。　In　effect；　Germany；　and　Germany's



associates　in　this　warlike　enterprise；　will　presumably　be　found



bankrupt　in　this　respect　on　the　return　of　peace；　even　beyond　the



other　nations。



　　　　These　others　have　also　not　escaped　the　touch　of　the　angel　of



decay；　but　the　visible　corruption　of　spiritual　and　intellectual



values　does　not　go　the　same　length　among　them。　Nor　have　these



others　suffered　so　heavy　a　toll　on　their　prospective　scholarly



man　power。　It　is　all　a　matter　of　degree　and　of　differential



decline；　coupled　with　a　failure　of　corporate　organization　and　of



the　usages　and　channels　of　communion　and　co…operation。



Chauvinistic　self…sufficiency　and　disesteem　of　their　neighbours



have　apparently　also　not　gone　so　deep　and　far　among　the　other



nations；　although　here　again　it　is　only　a　relative　degree　of



immunity　that　they　enjoy。



　　　　And　all　this　holds　true　of　the　Americans　in　much　the　same　way



as　of　the　rest；　except　that　the　Americans　have；　at　least



hitherto；　not　been　exposed　to　the　blight　in　anything　like　the



same　degree　as　any　one　of　those　other　peoples　with　whom　they　come



in　comparison　here。　It　is；　of　course；　not　easy　to　surmise　what



may　yet　overtake　them；　and　the　others　with　them；　but　judged　on



the　course　of　things　hitherto；　and　on　the　apparent　promise　of　the



calculable　future；　it　is　scarcely　to　be　presumed　that　the



Americans　are　due　to　suffer　so　extreme　a　degree　of　dilapidation



as　the　European　peoples；　　even　apart　from　the　accentuated　evil



case　of　the　Germans。　The　strain　has　hitherto　been　lighter　here；



and　it　promises　so　to　continue；　whether　the　further　duration　of



the　war　shall　turn　out　to　be　longer　or　shorter。　The　Americans



are；　after　all；　somewhat　sheltered　from　the　impact；　and　so　soon



as　the　hysterical　anxiety　induced　by　the　shock　has　had　time　to



spend　itself；　it　should　reasonably　be　expected　that　this　people



will　be　able　soberly　to　take　stock　of　its　assets　and　to　find　that



its　holdings　in　the　domain　of　science　and　scholarship　are；　in　the



main；　still　intact。



　　　　Not　that　no　loss　has　been　incurred；　nor　that　no　material



degree　of　derangement　is　to　be　looked　for；　but　in　comparison　with



what　the　experience　of　the　war　is　bringing　to　the　Europeans；　the



case　of　the　Americans　should　still　be　the　best　there　is　to　be



looked　for　and　the　best　is　always　good　enough；　perforce。　So　it



becomes　a　question；　what　the　Americans　will　do　with　the　best



opportunity　which　the　circumstances　offer。　And　on　their　conduct



of　their　affairs　in　this　bearing　turns　not　only　their　own　fortune



in　respect　of　the　interests　of　science　and　scholarship；　but　in



great　measure　the　fortunes　of　their　overseas　friends　and



co…partners　in　the　republic　of　learning　as　well。



　　　　The　fortunes　of　war　promise　to　leave　the　American　men　of



learning　in　a　strategic　position；　in　the　position　of　a　strategic



reserve；　of　a　force　to　be　held　in　readiness；　equipped　and



organized　to　meet　the　emergency　that　so　arises；　and　to　retrieve



so　much　as　may　be　of　those　assets　of　scholarly　equipment　and



personnel　that　make　the　substantial　code　of　Western　civilization。



And　so　it　becomes　a　question　of　what　the　Americans　are　minded　to



do　about　it。　It　is　their　opportunity；　and　at　the　same　time　it



carries　the　gravest　responsibility　that　has　yet　fallen　on　the



nation；　for　the　spiritual　fortunes　of　Christendom　are　bound　up



with　the　line　of　policy　which　this　surviving　contingent　of



American　men　of　learning　shall　see　fit　to　pursue。　They　are　not



all　that　is　to　be　left　over　when　the　powers　of　decay　shall　begin



to　retire；　nor　are　they；　perhaps；　to　be　the　best　and　most



valuable　contingent　among　these　prospective　survivors；　but　they



occupy　a　strategic　position；　in　that　they　are　today　justly　to　be



credited　with　disinterested　motives；　beyond　the　rest；　at　the　same



time　that　they　command　those　material　resources　without　which　the



quest　of　knowledge　can　hope　to　achieve　little　along　the　modern



lines　of　inquiry。　By　force　of　circumstances　they　are　thrown　into



the　position　of　keepers　of　the　ways　and　means　whereby　the



republic　of　learning　is　to　retrieve　its　fortunes。　By　force　of



circumstances　they　are　in　a　position；　if　they　so　choose；　to



shelter　many　of　those　masters　of　free　inquiry　whom　the　one…eyed



forces　of　reaction　and　partisanship　overseas　will　seek　to



suppress　and　undo；　and　they　are　also　in　a　position；　if　they　so



choose；　to　install　something　in　the　way　of　an　international



clearing　house　and　provisional　headquarters　for　the　academic



community　throughout　that　range　of　civilized　peoples　whose



goodwill　they　now　enjoy　　a　place　of　refuge　and　a　place　of



meeting；　confluence　and　dissemination　for　those　views　and　ideas



that　live　and　move　and　have　their　being　in　the　higher　learning。







　　　　There　is；　therefore；　a　work　of　reconstruction　to　be　taken



care　of　in　the　realm　of　learning；　no　less　than　in　the　working



scheme　of　economic　and　civil　in