the higher learning in america-第4节

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as　being　sordid　and　insubstantial　by　comparison。　Not　that　these



〃lower〃　human　interests；　answering　to　the　〃lower〃　ranges　of　human



intellect；　have　fallen　into　neglect；　it　is　only　that　they　have



come　to　be　accounted　〃lower；〃　as　contrasted　with　the　quest　of



knowledge；　and　it　is　only　on　sober　second　thought；　and　perhaps



only　for　the　ephemeral　present；　that　they　are　so　accounted　by　the



common　run　of　civilized　mankind。　Men　still　are　in　sufficiently



hot　pursuit　of　all　these　time…worn　amenities；　and　each　for



himself　is；　in　point　of　fact；　more　than　likely　to　make　the



pursuit　of　such　self…seeking　ends　the　burden　of　his　life；　but　on



a　dispassionate　rating；　and　under　the　corrective　of　deliberate



avowal；　it　will　appear　that　none　of　these　commend　themselves　as



intrinsically　worth　while　at　large。　At　the　best　they　are　rated　as



expedient　concessions　to　human　infirmity　or　as　measures　of



defense　against　human　perversity　and　the　outrages　of　fortune。　The



last　resort　of　the　apologists　for　these　more　sordid　endeavours　is



the　plea　that　only　by　this　means　can　the　ulterior　ends　of　a



civilization　of　intelligence　be　served。　The　argument　may　fairly



be　paraphrased　to　the　effect　that　in　order　to　serve　God　in　the



end；　we　must　all　be　ready　to　serve　the　Devil　in　the　meantime。







　　　　It　is　always　possible；　of　course；　that　this　pre…eminence　of



intellectual　enterprise　in　the　civilization　of　the　Western



peoples　is　a　transient　episode；　that　it　may　eventually　　perhaps



even　precipitately；　with　the　next　impending　turn　in　the　fortunes



of　this　civilization　　again　be　relegated　to　a　secondary　place



in　the　scheme　of　things　and　become　only　an　instrumentality　in　the



service　of　some　dominant　aim　or　impulse；　such　as　a　vainglorious



patriotism；　or　dynastic　politics；　or　the　breeding　of　a　commercial



aristocracy。　More　than　one　of　the　nations　of　Europe　have　moved　so



far　in　this　matter　already　as　to　place　the　primacy　of　science　and



scholarship　in　doubt　as　against　warlike　ambitions；　and　the



aspirations　of　the　American　community　appear　to　be　divided　



between　patriotism　in　the　service　of　the　captains　of　war；　and



commerce　in　the　service　of　the　captains　of　finance。　But　hitherto



the　spokesmen　of　any　such　cultural　reversion　are　careful　to



declare　a　perfunctory　faith　in　that　civilization　of　disinterested



intellectual　achievement　which　they　are　endeavouring　to　suborn　to



their　several　ends。　That　such　pro　forma　declarations　are　found



necessary　argues　that　the　faith　in　a　civilization　of　intelligence



is　still　so　far　intact　as　to　require　all　reactionaries　to　make



their　peace　with　it。



　　　　Meantime　the　easy　matter…of…course　presumption　that　such　a



civilization　of　intelligence　justifies　itself　goes　to　argue　that



the　current　bias　which　so　comes　to　expression　will　be　the　outcome



of　a　secure　and　protracted　experience。　What　underlies　and　has



brought　on　this　bent　in　the　temper　of　the　civilized　peoples　is　a



somewhat　intricate　question　of　institutional　growth；　and　can　not



be　gone　into　here；　but　the　gradual　shifting　of　this



matter…of…fact　outlook　into　the　primacy　among　the　ideals　of



modern。　Christendom　is　sufficiently　evident　in　point　of　fact；　to



any　attentive　student　of　modern　times。　Conceivably；　there　may



come　an　abrupt　term　to　its　paramount　vogue；　through　some



precipitate　sweep　of　circumstances；　but　it　did　not　come　in　by



anything　like　the　sudden　intrusion　of　a　new　invention　in　ideals



　after　the　fashion　of　a　religious　conversion　nor　by　the



incursion　of　a　hitherto　alien　element　into　the　current　scheme　of



life；　but　rather　by　force　of　a　gradual　and　unintended；　scarcely



perceptible；　shifting　of　emphasis　between　the　several　cultural



factors　that　conjointly　go　to　make　up　the　working　scheme　of



things。



　　　　Along　with　this　shifting　of　matter…of…fact　knowledge　into　the



foreground　among　the　ideals　of　civilized　life；　there　has　also



gone　on　a　similarly　unpremeditated　change　in　the　attitude　of



those　persons　and　establishments　that　have　to　do　with　this



learning；　as　well　as　in　the　rating　accorded　them　by　the　community



at　large。　Again　it　is　a　matter　of　institutional　growth；　of



self…wrought　changes　in　the　scheme　of　use　and　wont；　and　here　as



in　other　cases　of　institutional　growth　and　displacement；　the



changes　have　gone　forward　for　the　most　part　blindly；　by　impulse；



without　much　foreknowledge　of　any　ulterior　consequences　to　which



such　a　sequence　of　change　might　be　said　to　tend。　It　is　only　after



the　new　growth　of　use　and　wont　has　taken　effect　in　an　altered



range　of　principles　and　standards；　that　its　direction　and



ulterior　consequences　can　be　appreciated　with　any　degree　of



confidence。　But　this　development　that　has　thrown　up



matter…of…fact　knowledge　into　its　place　of　paramount　value　for



modern　culture　has　in　a　peculiar　degree　been　unintended　and



unforeseen；　the　like　applies　to　the　case　of　the　schools　and　the



personnel　involved；　and　in　a　peculiar　degree　the　drift　and



bearing　of　these　changes　have　also　not　been　appreciated　while



they　have　been　going　forward；　doubtless　because　it　has　all　been　a



peculiarly　unprecedented　phenomenon　and　a　wholly　undesigned　drift



of　habituation。　History　records　nothing　that　is　fairly



comparable。　No　era　in　the　historic　past　has　set　a　pattern　for



guidance　in　this　matter；　and　the　experience　of　none　of　the



peoples　of　history　affords　a　clue　by　which　to　have　judged



beforehand　of　the　probable　course　and　outcome　of　this



specifically　modern　and　occidental　phase　of　culture。



　　　　Some　slight　beginnings　and　excursions　in　the　way　of　a



cultivation　of　matter…of…fact　learning　there　may　have　been；　now



and　again；　among　the　many　shifting　systems　of　esoteric　lore　that



have　claimed　attention　here　and　there；　early　and　late；　and　these



need　by　no　means　be　accounted　negligible。　But　they　have　on　the



whole　come　to　nothing　much　better　than　broken　excursions；　as　seen



from　the　point　of　view　of　the　latterday　higher　learning；　and　they



have　brought　into　bearing　nothing　appreciable　in　the　way　of



establishments　designed　without　afterthought　to　further　the



advance　of　disinterested　knowledge。　Anything　like　a　cultural　era



that　avowedly　takes　such　a　quest　of　knowledge　as　its　chief　and



distinctive　characteristic　is　not　known　to　history。　From　this



isolated　state　of　the　case　it　follows；　unfortunately；　that　this



modern　phase　is　to　be　studied　only　in　its　own　light；　and　since



the　sequence　of　development　has　hitherto　reached　no　secure



consummation　or　conclusion；　there　is　also　much　room　for



conflicting　opinions　as　to　its　presumptive　or　legitimate　outcome；



or　even　as　to　its　present　drift。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II







　　　　But　notorious　facts　make　this　much　plain；　that　civilized



mankind　looks　to　this　quest　of　matter…of…fact　knowledge　as　its



most　substantial　asset　and　its　most　valued　achievement；　　in　so



far　as　any　consensus　of　appreciation　or　of　aspirations　is　to　be



found　among　civilized　mankind；　and　there　is　no　similar　consensus



bearing　on　any　other　feature　of　that　scheme　of　life　that



characterizes　modern　civilization。　It　is　similarly　beyond　dispute



that　men　look　to　the　modern　system　of　schools　and　related



establishments　of　learning　for　the　furtherance　and　conservation



of　this　intellectual　enterprise。　And　among　the　various　items　of



this　equipment　the　modern　university　is；　by　tradition；　more



closely　identified　with　the　quest　of　knowledge　than　any　other。　It



stands　in　a　unique　and　peculiarly　intimate　relation　to　this



intellectual　enterprise。　At　least　such　is　the　current



apprehension　of　the　university's　work。　The　university　is　the　only



accepted　institution　of　the　modern　culture　on　which　the　quest　of



knowledge　unquestionably　devolves；　and　the　visible　drift　of



circumstances　as　well　as　of　public　sentiment　runs　also　to　making



this　the　only　unquestioned　duty　incumbent　on　the　university。



　　　　It　is　true；　many　other　lines　of　work；　and　of　endeavor。　that



may　not　fairly　be　called　work；　are　undertaken　by　schools　of



university　grade；　and　also；　many　other　schools　that　call



themselves　〃universities〃　will　have　substantially　nothing　to　do



with　the　higher　learning。　But　each　and　several　of　these　other



lines　of　endeavor；　into　which　the　universities　allow　themselves



to　be　drawn；　are　open　to　question。　Their　legitimacy　remains　an



open　question　in　spite　of　the　interested　arguments　of　their



spokesmen；　who　advocate　the　partial　submergence　of　the　university



in　such　enterprises　as　professional　training；　undergraduate



instruction；