the higher learning in america-第40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！





elsewhere；　in　that　it　permits　none　of　the　competitors　to　forego



any　expedient　that　has　been　found　advantageous　by　any　one　of



them。　So　that；　whatever　course　might　be　dictated　by　the



sentiments　of　the　directorate；　the　course　enjoined　by　the



principles　of　competitive　business　sets　toward　the　suppression　or



elimination　of　all　such　scholarly　or　scientific　work　from　the



university　as　does　not　contribute　immediately　to　its　prestige；　



except　so　far　as　the　conditions　alluded　to　make　such　a　course



impracticable。



　　　　It　is　not　an　easy　or　a　graceful　matter　for　a　businesslike



executive　to　get　rid　of　any　undecorative　or　indecorous　scientist；



whose　only　fault　is　an　unduly　pertinacious　pursuit　of　the　work



for　which　alone　the　university　claims　to　exist；　whose　failure



consists　in　living　up　to　the　professions　of　the　executive　instead



of　professing　to　live　up　to　them。　Academic　tradition　gives　a



broad；　though　perhaps　uncertain；　sanction　to　the　scientific



spirit　that　moves　this　obscure　element　in　the　academic　body。　And



then；　their　more　happily　gifted；　more　worldly…wise　colleagues



have　also　a　degree　of　respect　for　such　a　single…minded　pursuit　of



knowledge；　even　while　they　may　view　these　naive　children　of



impulse　with　something　of　an　amused　compassion；　for　the　general



body　of　the　academic　staff　is　still　made　up　largely　of　men　who



have　started　out　with　scholarly　ideals；　even　though　these　ideals



may　have　somewhat　fallen　away　from　them　under　the　rub　of



expediency。　At　least　in　a　genial；　speculative　sense　of　the



phrase；　scholarship　still　outranks　official　preferment　in　the



esteem　of　the　generality　of　academic　men；　particularly　so　long　as



the　question　does　not　become　personal　and　touch　their　own



preferment。　In　great　part　the　academic　corps　still　understands



and　appreciates　the　scholarly　animus；　and　looks；　on　the　whole；



kindly　and　sympathetically　　indeed；　with　a　touch　of　envy　　on



those　among　them　who　are　so　driven　to　follow　their　own　scientific



bent；　to　the　neglect　of　expedient　gentility　and　publicity。



　　　　The　like　can；　of　course；　not　be　so　freely　said　of　that　body



of　businessmen　in　whom　is　vested　the　final　control；　yet　this



sentiment　of　genial　approval　that　pervades　the　academic　body



finds　some　vague　response　even　among　these；　and　in　any　event　it



is　always　to　be　reckoned　with　and　is　not　to　be　outraged；　unless



for　a　good　and　valuable　consideration。　It　can　not　altogether　be



set　aside；　although；　it　is　true；　the　conduct　of　certain　executive



heads；　grown　old　in　autocratic　rule　and　self…complacency；　may　at



times　appear　to　argue　the　contrary。　So　that；　by　and　large；　there



results　an　unstable　compromise　between　the　requirements　of



scholarly　fitness　and　those　of　competitive　enterprise；　with　a



doubtful　and　shifting　issue。　Just　at　present；　under　the　firm　hand



of　an　enterprising　and　autocratic　executive；　the　principles　of



competitive　business　are　apparently　gaining　ground　in　the　greater



universities；　where　the　volume　of　traffic　helps　to　cloud　the



details　of　suppression；　and　the　cult　of　learning　is　gradually



falling　into　a　more　precarious　position。



　　　　In　a　curious　way；　too；　the　full　swing　of　business　principles



in　academic　life　is　hindered　by　the　necessary　ways　and　means



through　which　these　principles　are　worked　out；　so　much　so；



indeed；　as　to　throw　a　serious　doubt　on　their　ultimately　achieving



an　undivided　dominion。　Taken　as　a　business　concern；　the



university　is　in　a　very　singular　position。　The　reason　for　its



being；　at　all；　is　the　educational　aspiration　that　besets　modern



mankind。　Its　only　ostensible　reason　for　being；　and　so　for　its



being　governed　and　managed；　competitively　or　otherwise；　is　the



advancement　of　learning。　And　this　advancement　of　learning　is　in



no　degree　a　business　proposition；　and　yet　it　must；　for　the



present　at　least；　remain　the　sole　ostensible　purpose　of　the



businesslike　university。　In　the　main；　therefore；　all　the



competitive　endeavours　and　manoeuvres　of　the　captains　of



erudition　in　charge　must　be　made　under　cover　of　an　ostensible



endeavour　to　further　this　non…competitive　advancement　of



learning；　at　all　costs。　Since　learning　is　not　a　competitive



matter；　since；　indeed；　competition　in　any　guise　or　bearing　in



this　field　is　detrimental　to　learning；　the　competitive　manoeuvres



of　the　academic　executive　must　be　carried　on　surreptitiously；　in



a　sense；　cloaked　as　a　non…competitive　campaign　for　the　increase



of　knowledge　without　fear　or　favour。



　　　　All　this　places　the　executive　in　a　very　delicate　position。　On



the　one　hand　the　principles　of　competitive　business；　embodied　in



a　plenary　board　of　control　and　in　a　critical　scrutiny　from　the



side　of　the　business　community　at　large；　demand　that　all



appointments；　promotions；　dismissals；　ceremonials；　pronouncements



and　expenditures；　must　be　made　with　a　constant　view　to　their



highest　advertising　effect；　whereas　the　notions　current　as　to



what　is　fitting　in　a　seminary　of　the　higher　learning；　on　the



other　hand；　somewhat　incongruously　demand　that　all　these　deeds　of



commission　and　omission　be　done　with　an　eye　single　to　the



increase　of　knowledge；　regardless　of　appearances。　And　this　double



responsibility　falls；　of　necessity；　on　the　executive　head　of　the



university；　under　the　present　r間ime　of　centralized　autocratic



rule。　Any　ethical　code　that　shall　permit　the　executive　head　to



accomplish　what　is　expected　of　him　in　the　way　of　a　competitive



enterprise　under　these　circumstances；　will　necessarily　be　vague



and　shifty；　not　to　and　men　who　have　tried　to　do　say　tenuous　and



shadowy；　their　whole　duty　in　these　premises　are　ready　to　admit



that　they　have　been　called　on　to　face　many　distasteful



situations；　where　honesty　would　not　approve　itself　as　the　best



policy。（1*）







　　　　Whatever　expedients　of　decorative　real…estate；　spectacular



pageantry；　bureaucratic　magnificence；　elusive　statistics；



vocational　training；　genteel　solemnities　and　sweat…shop



instruction；　may　be　imposed　by　the　exigencies　of　a　competitive



business　policy；　the　university　is　after　all　a　seat　of　learning；



devoted　to　the　cult　of　the　idle　curiosity；　　otherwise　called



the　scientific　spirit。　And　stultification；　broad　and　final；　waits



on　any　university　directorate　that　shall　dare　to　avow　any　other



end　as　its　objective。　So　the　appearance　of　an　unwavering　devotion



to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge　must　be　kept　up。　Hence　the　presence



of　scholars　and　scientists　of　accepted　standing　is　indispensable



to　the　university；　as　a　means　of　keeping　up　its　prestige。　The



need　of　them　may　be　a　need　of　their　countenance　rather　than　of



their　work；　but　they　are　indispensable；　and　they　bring　with　them



the　defects　of　their　qualities。　When　a　man　achieves　such



notoriety　for　scientific　attainments　as　to　give　him　a　high　value



as　an　article　of　parade；　the　chances　are　that　he　is　endowed　with



some　share　of　the　scientific　animus；　and　he　is　likely　to　have



fallen　into　the　habit　of　rating　the　triumphs　of　science　above



those　of　the　market　place。　Such　a　person　will　almost　unavoidably



affect　the　spirit　of　any　academic　corps　into　which　he　is



intruded。　He　will　also；　in　a　measure；　bend　the　forces　of　the



establishment　to　a　long…term　efficiency　in　the　pursuit　of



knowledge；　rather　than　to　the　pursuit　of　a　reputable　notoriety



from　day　to　day。　To　the　enterprising　captain　of　erudition　he　is



likely　to　prove　costly　and　inconvenient；　but　he　is　unavoidable。



　　　　This　will　hold　true　in　a　general　way；　and　with　due



exceptions；　for　men　prominent　in　those　material　sciences　that



have　to　do　with　data　of　such　a　tangible　character；　and　give　their



results　in　such　terms　of　mechanical　fact；　as　to　permit　a　passably



close　appreciation　of　their　worth　by　the　laity。　It　applies　only



more　loosely；　with　larger　exceptions　and　a　wider　margin　of　error；



in　the　humanities　and　the　so…called　moral　and　social　sciences。　In



this　latter　field　a　clamorous　conformity　to　current



prepossessions；　particularly　the　conventional　prepossessions　of



respectability；　or　an　edifying　and　incisive　rehearsal　of



commonplaces；　will　commonly　pass　in　popular　esteem　for　scholarly



and　scientific　merit。　A　truculent　quietism　is　often　accepted　as　a



mark　of　scientific　maturity。　The　reason　for　this　will　appear



presently。　But　so　far　as　popular　esteem　is　a　truthful　index　of



scientific　achievement。　the　proposition　holds；　that　scientists



who　have　done　great　things　have　a　business　value　to　the　captain



of　erudition　as　a　means　of　advancing　the　university's　prestige；



and　so