the higher learning in america-第46节

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use　of　learning；　is　canvassed　by　the　substantial　citizens　of　the



present　day。　At　the　period　covered　by　that　chapter　in　ancient



history；　a　child　was；　in　a　way；　an　article　of　equipment　for　the



up…keep　of　the　family　and　its　prestige；　and　more　remotely　for　the



support　of　the　sovereign　and　his　prestige。　So　that　a　male　child



would　be　rated　as　indubitably　worth　while　if　he　gave　promise　of



growing　into　a　robust　and　contentious　man。　If　the　infant　were　a



girl；　or　if　he　gave　no　promise　of　becoming　an　effective　disturber



of　the　peace；　the　use　or　expediency　of　rearing　the　child　would



become　a　matter　for　deliberation；　and　not　infrequently　the



finding　of　those　old…time　utilitarians　was　adverse；　and　the



investment　was　cancelled。　The　habit　of　so　deliberating　on　the



pragmatic　advisability　of　child…life　has　been　lost；　latterly；　or



at　any　rate　such　of　the　latterday　utilitarians　as　may　still



entertain　a　question　of　this　kind　in　any　concrete　case　are



ashamed　to　have　it　spoken　of　nakedly。　Witness　the　lame　but



irrepressible　sentimental　protest　against　the　Malthusian　doctrine



of　population。



　　　　It　is　true；　in　out…of…the…way　corners　and　on　the　lower　levels



　and　on　the　higher　levels　of　imperial　politics　where　men　have



not　learned　to　shrink　from　shameful　devices；　the　question　of



children　and　of　the　birth…rate　is　still　sometimes　debated　as　a



question　of　the　presumptive　use　of　offspring　for　some　ulterior



end。　And　there　may　still　be　found　those　who　are　touched　by　the



reflection　that　a　child　born　may　become　a　valuable　asset　as　a



support　for　the　parents'　old　age。　Such　a　pecuniary　rating　of　the



parental　relation；　which　values　children　as　a　speculative　means



of　gain；　may　still　be　met　with。　But　wherever　modern　civilization



has　made　its　way　at　all　effectually；　such　a　provident　rating　of



offspring　is　not　met　with　in　good　company。　Latterday　common　sense



does　not　countenance　it。



　　　　Not　that　a　question　of　expediency　is　no　longer　entertained；



touching　this　matter　of　children；　but　it　is　no　longer　the



patriarchal…barbarian　question　as　to　eventual　gains　that　may　be



expected　to　accrue　to　the　parent　or　the　family。　Except　in　the



view　of　those　statesmen　of　the　barbarian　line　who　see　the　matter



of　birth…rate　from　the　higher　ground　of　dynastic　politics；　a



child　born　is　not　rated　as　a　means；　but　as　an　end。　At　least



conventionally；　it　is　no　longer　a　question　of　pecuniary　gain　for



the　parent　but　of　expediency　for　the　child。　No　mother　asks



herself　if　her　child　will　pay。



　　　　Civilized　men　shrink　from　anything　like　rating　children　as　a



contrivance　for　use　in　the　〃round…about　process　of　the　production



of　goods。〃　And　in　much　the　same　spirit；　and　in　the　last　analysis



on　much　the　same　grounds；　although　in　a　less　secure　and　more



loosely　speculative　fashion；　men　also　look　to　the　higher　learning



as　the　ripe　fulfilment　of　material　competency；　rather　than　as　a



means　to　material　success。　In　their　thoughtful　intervals；　the



most　businesslike　pragmatists　will　avow　such　an　ideal。　But　in



workday　detail；　when　the　question　turns　concretely　on　the



advisability　of　the　higher　education；　the　workday　habit　of



pecuniary　traffic　asserts　itself；　and　the　matter　is　then　likely



to　be　argued　in　pecuniary　terms。　The　barbarian　animus；　habitual



to　the　quest　of　gain；　reverts；　and　the　deliberation　turns　on　the



gainfulness　of　this　education；　which　has　in　all　sobriety　been



acknowledged　the　due　end　of　culture　and　endeavour。　So　that；　in



working　out　the　details；　this　end　of　living　is　made　a　means；　and



the　means　is　made　an　end。



　　　　No　doubt；　what　chiefly　urges　men　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge



is　their　native　bent　of　curiosity；　　an　impulsive　proclivity　to



master　the　logic　of　facts；　just　as　the　chief　incentive　to　the



achievement　of　children　has；　no　doubt；　always　been　the　parental



bent。　But　very　much　as　the　boorish　element　in　the　present　and



recent　generations　will　let　the　pecuniary　use　of　children　come　in



as　a　large　subsidiary　ground　of　decision；　and　as　they　have　even



avowed　this　to　be　their　chief　concern　in　the　matter；　so；　in　a



like　spirit；　men　trained　to　the　business　system　of　competitive



gain　and　competitive　spending　will　not　be　content　to　find　that



they　can　afford　the　quest　of　that　knowledge　which　their　human



propensity　incites　them　to　cultivate；　but　they　must　back　this



propensity　with　a　shamefaced　apology　for　education　on　the　plea　of



its　gainfulness。



　　　　What　is　here　said　of　the　businesslike　spirit　of　the　latterday



〃educators〃　is　not　to　be　taken　as　reflecting　disparagingly　on



them　or　their　endeavours。　They　respond　to　the　call　of　the　times



as　best　they　can。　That　they　do　so；　and　that　the　call　of　the　times



is　of　this　character；　is　a　fact　of　the　current　drift　of　things；



which　one　may　commend　or　deprecate　according　as　one　has　the



fortune　to　fall　in　with　one　or　the　other　side　of　the　case；　that



is　to　say　according　to　one's　habitual　bent；　but　in　any　event　it



is　to　be　taken　as　a　fact　of　the　latterday　situation；　and　a　factor



of　some　force　and　permanence　in　the　drift　of　things　academic；　for



the　present　and　the　calculable　future。　It　means　a　more　or　less



effectual　further　diversion　of　interest　and　support　from　science



and　scholarship　to　the　competitive　acquisition　of　wealth；　and



therefore　also　to　its　competitive　consumption。　Through　such　a



diversion　of　energy　and　attention　in　the　schools；　the　pecuniary



animus　at　large；　and　pecuniary　standards　of　worth　and　value；



stand　to　gain；　more　or　less；　at　the　cost　of　those　other　virtues



that　are；　by　the　accepted　tradition　of　modern　Christendom；　held



to　be　of　graver　and　more　enduring　import。　It　means　an　endeavour



to　substitute　the　pursuit　of　gain　and　expenditure　in　place　of　the



pursuit　of　knowledge；　as　the　focus　of　interest　and　the　objective



end　in　the　modern　intellectual　life。



　　　　This　incursion　of　pecuniary　ideals　in　academic　policy　is　seen



at　its　broadest　and　baldest　in　the　Schools　of　Commerce；　



〃Commerce　and　Politics；〃　〃Business　Training；〃　〃Commerce　and



Administration；〃　〃Commerce　and　Finance；〃　or　whatever　may　be　the



phrase　selected　to　designate　the　supersession　of　learning　by



worldly　wisdom。　Facility　in　competitive　business　is　to　take　the



place　of　scholarship；　as　the　goal　of　university　training；



because；　it　is　alleged；　the　former　is　the　more　useful。　The　ruling



interest　of　Christendom；　in　this　view；　is　pecuniary　gain。　And



training　for　commercial　management　stands　to　this　ruling　interest



of　the　modern　community　in　a　relation　analogous　to　that　in　which



theology　and　homiletics　stood　to　the　ruling　interest　in　those



earlier　times　when　the　salvation　of　men's　souls　was　the　prime



object　of　solicitude。　Such　a　seminary　of　business　has　something



of　a　sacerdotal　dignity。　It　is　the　appointed　keeper　of　the　higher



business　animus。（7*）



　　　　Such　a　school；　with　its　corps　of　instructors　and　its



equipment；　stands　in　the　university　on　a　tenure　similar　to　that



of　the　divinity　school。　Both　schools　are　equally　extraneous　to



that　〃intellectual　enterprise〃　in　behalf　of　which；　ostensibly；



the　university　is　maintained。　But　while　the　divinity　school



belongs　to　the　old　order　and　is　losing　its　preferential　hold　on



the　corporation　of　learning；　the　school　of　commerce　belongs　to



the　new　order　and　is　gaining　ground。　The　primacy　among　pragmatic



interests　has　passed　from　religion　to　business；　and　the　school　of



commerce　is　the　exponent　and　expositor　of　this　primacy。　It　is　the



perfect　flower　of　the　secularization　of　the　universities。　And　as



has　already　been　remarked　above；　there　is　also　a　wide…sweeping



movement　afoot　to　bend　the　ordinary　curriculum　of　the　higher



schools　to　the　service　of　this　cult　of　business　principles；　and



so　to　make　the　ordinary　instruction　converge　to　the　advancement



of　business　enterprise；　very　much　as　it　was　once　dutifully



arranged　that　the　higher　instruction　should　be　subservient　to



religious　teaching　and　consonant　with　the　demands　of　devout



observances　and　creeds。



　　　　It　is　not　that　the　College　of　Commerce　stands　alone　as　the



exponent　of　worldly　wisdom　in　the　modern　universities；　nor　is　its



position　in　this　respect　singular；　except　in　the　degree　of　its



remoteness　from　all　properly　academic　interests。　Other　training



schools；　as　in　engineering　and　in　the　other　professions；　belong



under　the　same　general　category　of　practical　aims；　as　contrasted



with　the　aims　of　the　higher　learning。　But　the　College　of　Commerce



stands　out　pre…eminent　among　these　various　training　schools　in



tw