the higher learning in america-第60节

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establishments　entered　on　its　adventures　and　attained　its



distinctive　character；　were　men　who；　at　one　point　or　another　in



their　administration　of　academic　policy；　entertained　a　sincerely



conceived　scholarly　ambition　to　create　a　substantial　university；



an　institution　of　learning。（11*）　And；　in　a　general　way；　the　two



attempts　have　equally　failed　of　their　avowed　initial　purpose。



　　　　In　the　persons　of　their　discretionary　heads；　the　two



enterprises　were　from　the　outset　animated　with　widely　divergent



ideals　and　aspirations　in　matters　of　scholarship；　and　with



singularly　dissimilar　and　distinctive　traits　of　character；



resembling　one　another　in　little　else　than　a　sincere　devotion　to



the　cause　of　scholarship　and　an　unhampered　discretion　in　their



autocratic　management　of　affairs；　but　it　is　an　illuminating



comment　on　the　force　of　circumstances　governing　these　matters；



that　these　two　establishments　have　gone　down　to　substantially　the



same　kind　and　degree　of　defeat；　　a　defeat　not　extreme　but



typical；　both　in　kind　and　degree。　In　the　one　case；　the　more



notorious；　the　initial　aim　（well　known　to　persons　intimately　in



touch　with　the　relevant　facts　at　the　time）　was　the　pursuit　of



scholarship；　somewhat　blatant　perhaps；　but　none　the　less　sincere



and　thoughtful；　in　the　companion…piece　it　was　in　a　like　degree



the　pursuit　of　scientific　knowledge　and　serviceability；　though；



it　is　true；　unschooled　and　puzzle…headed　to　a　degree。　In　both



enterprises　alike　the　discretionary　heads　so　placed　in　control



had　been　selected　by　individual　businessmen　of　the　untutored



sort；　and　were　vested　with　plenary　powers。　Under　pressure　of



circumstances；　in　both　cases　alike；　the　policy　of　forceful



initiative　and　innovation；　with　which　both　alike　entered　on　the



enterprise；　presently　yielded　to　the　ubiquitous　craving　for



statistical　magnitude　and　the　consequent　felt　need　of



conciliatory　publicity；　until　presently　the　ulterior　object　of



both　was　lost　in　the　shadow　of　these　immediate　and　urgent



manoeuvres　of　expediency；　and　it　became　the　rule　of　policy　to



stick　at　nothing　but　appearances。



　　　　So　that　both　establishments　have　come　substantially　to



surrender　the　university　ideal；　through　loss　of　effectual



initiative　and　courage；　and　so　have　found　themselves　running



substantially　the　same　course　of　insidious　compromise　with



〃vocational〃　aims；　undergraduate　methods；　and　the　counsels　of　the



Philistines。　The　life…history　of　each；　while　differing　widely　in



detail　of　ways　and　methods；　is　after　all　macle　up；　for　the



greater　part；　of　futile　extensions；　expansions；　annexations；



ramifications；　affiliations　and　pronunciamentos；　in　matters　that



are　no　more　germane　to　the　cause　of　learning　than　is　the　state　of



the　weather。　In　the　one　case；　the　chase　after　a　sufficient



notoriety　took　the　direction　of　a　ravenous　megalomania；　the



busiest　concern　of　which　presently　came　to　be　how　most



conspicuously　to　prolong　a　shout　into　polysyllables；　and　the



further　fact　that　this　clamorous　raid　on　the　sensibilities　of　the



gallery　was　presently；　on　a　change　of　executive　personnel；



succeeded　by　a　genial　surrender　to　time　and　tide；　an　aimless



gum…shod　pusillanimity；　has　apparently　changed　the　drift　of



things　in　no　very　appreciable　degree。（12*）



　　　　In　the　companion…piece；　the　enterprise　has　been　brought　to



the　like　manner　and　degree　of　stultification　under　the　simple



guidance　of　an　hysterically　meticulous　deference　to　all　else　than



the　main　facts。　In　both　cases　alike　the　executive　solicitude　has



come　to　converge　on　a　self…centred　and　irresponsible　government



of　intolerance；　differing　chiefly　in　the　degree　of　its



efficiency。　Of　course；　through　all　this　drift　of　stultification



there　has　always　remained　　decus　et　solamen　　something　of　an



amiably　inefficient　and　optimistic　solicitude　for　the　advancement



of　learning　at　large；　in　some　unspecified　manner　and　bearing；



some　time；　but　not　to　interfere　with　the　business　in　hand。



　　　　It　is　not　that　either　of　these　two　great　schools　is　to　be



rated　as　useless　for　whatever　each　is　good　for；　but　only　that



that　pursuit　of　learning　on　which　both　set　out　in　the　beginning



has　fallen　into　abeyance；　by　force　of　circumstances　as　they



impinge　on　the　sensibilities　of　a　discretionary　executive。　As



vocational　schools　and　as　establishments　for　the　diffusion　of



salutary　advice　on　the　state　of　mankind　at　large；　both　are



doubtless　all　that　might　be　desired；　particularly　in　respect　of



their　statistical　showing。　It　is　only　that　the　affairs　of　the



higher　learning　have　come　definitively　to　take　a　subsidiary；　or



putative；　place。　In　these　establishments；　and　to　all　appearance



irretrievably　so；　because　both　are　now　committed　to　so　large　and



exacting　a　volume　of　obligations　and　liabilities；　legal　and



customary；　extraneous　and　alien　to　their　legitimate　interest；



that　there　is　no　longer　a　reasonable　chance　of　their　coming　to



anything　of　serious　import　in　the　way　of　the　higher　learning；



even；　conceivably；　under　the　most　enlightened　management　in　the



calculable　future。　In　their　bootless　chase　after　a　blameless



publicity；　both　have　sunk　their　endowment　in　conspicuous　real



estate；　vocational；　technical　and　accessory　schools；　and　the　like



academic　side…issues；　to　such　an　extent　as　to　leave　them　without



means　to　pursue　their　legitimate　end　in　any　adequate　manner；　even



if　they　should　harbour　an　effectual　inclination　to　pursue



it。（13*）



　　　　These　remarks　on　the　typical　traits　of　the　academic　executive



have　unavoidably　taken　the　colour　of　personalities。　That　such　is



the　case　should　by　no　means　be　taken　as　intentionally　reflecting



anything　like　dispraise　on　those　persons　who　have　this



（unavoidable）　work　of　stultification　in　hand。　Rather；　it　is



dispassionately　to　be　gathered　from　the　run　of　the　facts　as　set



out　above　that　those　persons　on　whom　these　exigencies　impinge



will；　by　force　of　habituation；　necessarily　come　to　take　the　bent



which　these　current　conditions　enforce；　and　without　which　this



work　could　not　well　be　done；　all　on　the　supposition　　and　it　is



by　no　means　an　extravagant　assumption　　that　these　persons　so



exposed　to　these　agencies　of　spiritual　disintegration　are　by



native　gift　endowed　with　the　commonplace　traits　of　human　nature；



no　more　and　no　less。　It　is　the　duties　of　the　office；　not　a　run　of



infirmities　peculiar　to　the　incumbents　of　office；　that　make　the



outcome。　Very　much　like　that　of　the　medicine…man；　the　office　is



one　which　will　not　abide　a　tolerant　and　ingenuous　incumbent。（14*）







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V







　　　　In　all　the　above　argument　and　exposition；　touching　the



executive　office　and　its　administrative　duties；　the　point　of　the



discussion　is；　of　course；　not　the　personal　characteristics　of　the



typical　executive；　nor　even　the　spiritual　fortunes　of　the　persons



exposed　to　the　wear　and　tear　of　executive　office；　although　these



matters　might　well　engage　the　attention　of　any　one　given　to



moralizing。　The　point　is；　of　course；　that　precarious　situation　in



which　the　university；　considered　as　a　corporation　of　the　higher



learning；　is　placed　under　these　current　conditions；　and　the



manner　in　which　these　current　conditions　give　rise　to　this



situation。　Seen　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　higher　learning；



and　disregarding　considerations　extraneous　to　that　interest；　it



is　evident　that　this　run　of　events；　and　the　conditions　which



determine　them；　are　wholly　untoward；　not　to　say　disastrous。



　　　　Now；　this　inquiry　is　nowise　concerned　to　reform；　deflect　or



remedy　this　current　drift　of　things　academic　away　from　the



ancient　holding　ground　of　the　higher　learning；　partly　because



such　an　enterprise　in　reform　and　rehabilitation　lies　beyond　its



competence；　and　partly；　again；　because　in　all　this　current　move



to　displace　the　higher　learning　there　may　conceivably　be　other



ends　involved；　which　may　be　worth　while　in　some　other　bearing



that　is　alien　to　the　higher　learning　but　of　graver　consequence



for　the　fortunes　of　the　race；　　urgent　needs　which　can　only　be



served　by　so　diverting　effort　and　attention　from　this　pursuit。



Yet；　partly　out　of　a　reasonable　deference　to　the　current



prejudice　that　any　mere　negative　criticism　and　citation　of



grievances　is　nothing　better　than　an　unworthy　experiment　in



irritation；　and　more　particularly　as　a　means　to　a　more　adequate



appreciation　of　the　rigorous　difficulties　inherent　in　this



current　state　and　drift　of　things；　it　may　not　be　out　of　place　to



offer　some　c