the higher learning in america-第34章

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bought　at　too　high　a　cost。　As　a　business　proposition；　it　may　even



become　expedient　to　retire　him。　But　his　retirement　may　not　be　an



easy　matter　to　arrange。　The　businesslike　grounds　of　it　can　not



well　be　avowed；　since　it　is　involved　in　the　scheme　of　academic



decorum；　as　well　as　in　the　scheme　of　publicity；　that　motives　of



notoriety　must　not　be　avowed。　Colourable　grounds　of　another　kind



must　be　found；　such　as　will　divert　the　popular　imagination　from



the　point　at　issue。　By　a　judicious　course　of　vexation　and



equivocations；　an　obnoxious　scientist　may　be　manoeuvred　into　such



a　position　that　his　pride　will　force　a　〃voluntary〃　resignation。



Failing　this；　it　may　become　necessary；　however　distasteful；



delicately　to　defame　his　domestic　life；　or　his　racial；　religious



or　political　status。　In　America　such　an　appeal　to　the　baser



sentiments　will　commonly　cloud　the　issue　sufficiently　for　the



purpose　in　hand；　even　though　it　all　has　nothing　to　do　with　the



man's　fitness　for　university　work。　Such　a　step；　however；　is　not



to　be　taken　unless　the　case　is　urgent；　if　there　is　danger　of



estranging　the　affections　of　potential　donors；　or　if　it　involves



anything　like　overt　disloyalty　to　the　executive　head。



　　　　This　is　one　of　the　points　at　which　it　is　necessary　to　recall



the　fact　that　no　settled　code　of　business　ethics　has　yet　been



worked　out　for　the　guidance　of　competitive　university　management；



nor　is　it　easy　to　see　how　such　a　code　can　be　worked　out；　so　long



as　the　university　remains　ostensibly　a　seat　of　learning；　unable



to　avow　any　other　ground　of　action　than　a　single…minded　pursuit



of　knowledge。　It　has　been　alleged　　indeed　it　is　fast　becoming　a



tradition　　that　the　executives　of　the　great　competitive



universities　habitually　allow　some　peculiar　latitude　as　touches



the　canons　of　truth　and　fair　dealing。　If　this　describes　the



facts；　it　should　not　be　counted　against　these　discreet　men　who　so



have　to　tax　their　ingenuity；　but　against　the　situation　in　which



they　are　placed；　which　makes　it　impracticable　to　observe　a　nice



discrimination　in　matters　of　veracity。　Statements　of　fact；　under



such　conditions；　will　in　great　part　be　controlled　by　the　end　to



be　accomplished；　rather　than　by　antecedent　circumstances；　such



statements　are　necessarily　of　a　teleological　order。　As　in　other



competitive　business；　facts　have　in　this　connection　only　a



strategic　value；　but　the　exigencies　of　strategy　here　are



peculiarly　exacting；　and　often　rigorous。







　　　　Academic　tradition　and　current　common　sense　unite　in　imposing



on　the　universities　the　employment　of　prominent　scholars　and



scientists；　in　that　men　of　note　in　this　class　have　a　high



prestige　value　for　purposes　of　publicity；　and　it　was　suggested



above　that　a　reservation　of　some　breadth　must　be　made　on　this



head。　Common　notoriety　is　the　due　test　of　eminence　which　the



competitive　university　must　apply　in　the　selection　of　its



notables。　But　in　the　sciences　that　deal　with　the　less　tangible



and　measureable　data；　the　so…called　moral　or　social　sciences；



common　notoriety　is　not　even　an　approximately　accurate　index　of



scientific　capacity　or　attainments；　and　still　it　is；　of　course；



the　standing　of　the　incumbents　in　point　of　common　notoriety　that



must　chiefly　be　had　in　view　in　any　strict　valuation　of　them　for



purposes　of　academic　prestige。　They　are　needed　for　the



advertising　value　which　they　bring；　and　for　this　purpose　they　are



valuable　somewhat　in　proportion　to　the　rank　awarded　them　by



common　report　among　that　unlearned　element；　whose　good　opinion



the　competitive　university　must　conciliate。　But　in　the　nature　of



the　case；　within　the　range　of　sciences　named；　the　estimate　of　the



unlearned　is　necessarily　in　the　wrong。



　　　　With　the　exception　of　archaeological　inquiries　and　the　study



of　law；　as　commonly　pursued；　these　moral　or　social　sciences　are



occupied　with　inquiry　into　the　nature　of　the　conventions　under



which　men　live；　the　institutions　of　society　　customs；　usages；



traditions；　conventions；　canons　of　conduct；　standards　of　life；　of



taste；　of　morality　and　religion；　law　and　order。　No　faithful



inquiry　into　these　matters　can　avoid　an　air　of　scepticism　as　to



the　stability　or　finality　of　some　one　or　other　among　the　received



articles　of　institutional　furniture。　An　inquiry　into　the　nature



and　causes；　the　working　and　the　outcome；　of　this　institutional



apparatus；　will　disturb　the　habitual　convictions　and



preconceptions　on　which　they　rest；　even　if　the　outcome　of　the



inquiry　should　bear　no　colour　of　iconoclasm；　unless；　indeed；　the



inquirer　were　so　fortunate　as　to　start　with　an　inalienable



presumption　that　the　received　convictions　on　these　matters　need



no　inquiry　and　are　eternally　right　and　good；　in　which　case　he



does　best　to　rest　content　at　his　point　of　departure。　Scepticism



is　the　beginning　of　science。　Herein　lies　the　difference　between



homiletical　exposition　and　scientific　inquiry。



　　　　Now；　on　these　matters　of　habit　and　convention；　morality　and



religion；　law　and　order　　matters　which　intimately　touch　the



community's　accepted　scheme　of　life　　all　men　have　convictions；



sentimental　convictions　to　which　they　adhere　with　an　instinctive



tenacity；　and　any　disturbance　of　which　they　resent　as　a　violation



of　fundamental　truth。　These　institutions　of　society　are　made　up



of　the　habits　of　thought　of　the　people　who　live　under　them。　The



consensus　of　the　unlearned；　or　unscientific；　as　regards　the



scientific　validity　of　inquiries　which　touch　these　matters　means



little　else　than　the　collective　expressions　of　a　jealous



orthodoxy　with　respect　to　the　articles　of　the　current　social



creed。　One　who　purports　to　be　a　scientist　in　this　field　can　gain



popular　approval　of　his　scientific　capacity；　particularly　the



businessmen's　approval；　only　by　accepting　and　confirming　current



convictions　regarding　those　elements　of　the　accepted　scheme　of



life　with　which　his　science　is　occupied。　Any　inquiry　which　does



not　lead　to　corroboration　of　the　opinions　in　vogue　among　the



unlearned　is　condemned　as　being　spurious　and　dangerously



wrong…headed；　whereas　an　unbiassed　inquiry　into　these　things；　of



course；　neither　confirms　nor　disputes　the　scheme　of　things　into



which　it　inquires。　And　so；　at　the　best；　it　falls　into　the　same



class　with　the　fabled　Alexandrine　books　that　either　agreed　with



the　Koran　or　disagreed　with　it；　and　were　therefore　either　idle　or



sacrilegious。



　　　　Within　this　field；　vulgar　sentiment　will　tolerate　a　sceptical



or　non…committal　attitude　toward　vulgar　convictions　only　as



regards　the　decorative　furnishings；　not　as　regards　the　substance



of　the　views　arrived　at。　Some　slight　play　of　hazardous　phrases



about　the　fringe　of　the　institutional　fabric　may　be　tolerated　by



the　popular　taste；　as　an　element　of　spice；　and　as　indicating　a



generous　and　unbiassed　mind；　but　in　such　cases　the　conclusive



test　of　scientific　competency　and　leadership；　in　the　popular



apprehension；　is　a　serene　and　magniloquent　return　to　the　orthodox



commonplaces；　after　all　such　playful　excursions。　In　fact；



substantially　nothing　but　homiletics　and　woolgathering　will　pass



popular　muster　as　science　in　this　connection。



　　　　So　it　comes　about　that　the　men　who　are　by　common　notoriety



held　to　be　the　leaders　in　this　field　of　learning；　and　who



therefore　are　likely　to　be　thrown　up　by　official　preferment；　are



such　as　enlarge　on　the　commonplace　and　aphoristic　wisdom　of　the



laity。　Not　that　the　official　sanction　falls　unfailingly　on　the



paragons　of　mediocrity；　there　are　many　and　illustrious



exceptions；　a　fair　proportion　of　whom　would　be　illustrious　even



without　the　official　sanction；　and　in　this　connection　it　is　in



place　to　recall　that　business　principles　have　not　hitherto　held



undivided　and　sovereign　dominion　in　this　province；　and　that　there



is　even　reason　to　believe　that　they　are　not　yet　coming　fully　into



their　own。



　　　　These　putative　leaders　of　science　referred　to　are；　in　the



common　run　of　cases；　not　men　with　whom　the　science　will　have　to



count；　but　by　virtue　of　their　eligibility　as　academic　spokesmen



of　the　science；　they　are　men　with　whom　their　contemporaries　in



the　science　will　have　to　count。　As　is　shown　by　the　experience　of



the　past；　they　are　likely　to　be　well　forgotten　by　the　generation



that　follows　them；　but　they　are；　perforce；　equally　well



remembered　by　their　contemporaries。　It　is　not　the　long…term



serviceability　of　these　official　scientists　that　counts　toward



their　availability　for　academic　leadership；　but　their　popular



prestige。　They　may　not　be　such　leaders　as　the　science　needs；　but



they　are　such　exponents　of　opinion　as　are　believed　to　commend



themselves　to　the　tastes　of　the　well…to…do　laity。　A　citation　of



instances　would　seem　invidious；　nor；　presumably；　is　it　called



for。　The　anecdotal　history　of　contemporary　events　is　particularly



full　at　this　juncture；　while　to　outsiders　who　are　not　in　a



position　to　appreciate　either　the　urgency　or　the　subtlety　of　the



motives　of　academic　expediency　in　this　bearing；　a　recital　of



illustrative　instances　might　seem　either　libellous　or　farcical。



The　exigencies　of　competitive　academic　enterprise；　especially　in



its　relation　to　the　maintenance　and　increase　of　endowment；　place



the　executive　in　a　very　delicate　position　in　this　matter　and



leave　little　room　for　squeamish　deliberation。



　　　　At　the　risk　of　tedium；　it　is　necessary　to　push　the　analysis



of　businesslike　motives　and　their　bearing　a　step　farther　at　this



point。　It　is　not　simply　the　vulgar；　commonplace　convictions　of



the　populace　that　must　receive　consideration　in　this　field　of　the



moral　and　social　sciences；　　including　such　matters　as　religion；



sociology；　economics；　and　political　science；　so…called。　What　is



especially　to　be　conciliated　by　the　official　scientists　is　the



current　range　of　convictions　on　all　these　heads　among　those



well…to…do　classes　from　whom　the　institution　hopes　to　draw



contributions　to　its　endowment；　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　more



reputable　part　of　its　undergraduate　client鑜e；　on　the　other　hand。



Which　comes；　broadly；　to　saying　that　a　jealous　eye　must　be　had　to



the　views　and　prepossessions　prevalent　among　the　respectable；



conservative　middle　class；　with　a　particular　regard　to　that　more



select　body　of　substantial　citizens　who　have　the　disposal　of



accumulated　wealth。　This　select　and　substantial　element　are　on



the　whole　more　con