the higher learning in america-第39章

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in　that　it　serves　neither　the　intellectual　advancement　nor　the



material　welfare　of　the　community。



　　　　The　greater　the　number　and　the　higher　the　proficiency　of　the



community's　businessmen；　other　things　equal；　the　worse　must　the



rest　of　the　community　come　off　in　that　game　of　skilled　bargaining



and　shrewd　management　by　which　the　businessmen　get　their　gains。



Gratuitous　or　partly　gratuitous　training　for　business　will



presumably　increase　the　number　of　highly　proficient　businessmen。



As　the　old…fashioned　economists　would　express　it；　it　will



increase　the　number　of　〃middlemen；〃　of　men　who　〃live　by　their



wits。〃　At　the　same　time　it　should　presumably　increase　the　average



efficiency　of　this　increased　number。　The　outcome　should　be　that



the　resulting　body　of　businessmen　will　be　able；　between　them；　to



secure　a　larger　proportion　of　the　aggregate　wealth　of　the



community；　leaving　the　rest　of　the　community　poorer　by　that



much；except　for　that　（extremely　doubtful）　amount　by　which　shrewd



business　management　is　likely　to　increase　the　material



wealth…producing　capacity　of　the　community。　Any　such　presumed



increase　of　wealth…producing　capacity　is　an　incidental



concomitant　of　business　traffic；　and　in　the　nature　of　the　case　it



can　not　equal　the　aggregate　increased　gain　that　goes　to　the



businessmen。　At　the　best　the　question　as　to　the　effect　which　such



an　aggregate　increased　business　efficiency　will　have　on　the



community's　material　welfare　is　a　question　of　how　large　the　net



loss　will　be；　that　it　will　entail　a　net　loss　on　the　community　at



large　is　in　fact　not　an　open　question。



　　　　A　college　of　commerce　is　designed　to　serve　an　emulative



purpose　only　　individual　gain　regardless　of；　or　at　the　cost　of；



the　community　at　large　　and　it　is；　therefore；　peculiarly



incompatible　with　the　collective　cultural　purpose　of　the



university。　It　belongs　in　the　corporation　of　learning　no　more



than　a　department　of　athletics。（10*）　Both　alike　give　training



that　is　of　no　use　to　the　community；except；　perhaps；　as　a



sentimental　excitement。　Neither　business　proficiency　nor



proficiency　in　athletic　contests　need　be　decried；　of　course。　They



have　their　value；　to　the　businessmen　and　to　the　athletes；



respectively；　chiefly　as　a　means　of　livelihood　at　the　cost　of　the



rest　of　the　community；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　they　are



worth　while　to　those　who　go　in　for　that　sort　of　thing。　Both　alike



are　related　to　the　legitimate　ends　of　the　university　as　a　drain



on　its　resources　and　an　impairment　of　its　scholarly　animus。　As



related　to　the　ostensible　purposes　of　a　university；　therefore；



the　support　and　conduct　of　such　schools　at　the　expense　of　the



universities　is　to　be　construed　as　a　breach　of　trust。



　　　　What　has　just　been　said　of　the　schools　of　commerce　is；　of



course；　true　also　of　the　other　training　schools　comprised　in　this



latterday　university　policy；　in　the　degree　in　which　these　others



aim　at　the　like　emulative　and　unscholarly　results。　It　holds　true



of　the　law　schools；　e。　g。；　typically　and　more　largely　than　of　the



generality　of　professional　and　technical　schools。　Both　in　point



of　the　purely　competitive　value　of　their　training　and　of　the



unscientific　character　of　their　work；　the　law　schools　are　in　very



much　the　same　case　as　the　schools　of　commerce；　and；　no　doubt；　the



accepted　inclusion　of　law　schools　in　the　university　corporation



has　made　the　intrusion　of　the　schools　of　commerce　much　easier



than　it　otherwise　would　have　been。　The　law　school's　inclusion　in



the　university　corporation　has　the　countenance　of　ancient



tradition；　it　comes　down　as　an　authentic　usage　from　the　mediaeval



era　of　European　education；　and　from　the　pre…history　of　the



American　universities。　But　in　point　of　substantial　merit　the　law



school　belongs　in　the　modern　university　no　more　than　a　school　of



fencing　or　dancing。　This　is　particularly　true　of　the　American　law



schools；　in　which　the　Austinian　conception　of　law　is　followed；



and　it　is　more　particularly　true　the　more　consistently　the　〃case



method〃　is　adhered　to。　These　schools　devote　themselves　with　great



singleness　to　the　training　of　practitioners；　as　distinct　from



jurists；　and　their　teachers　stand　in　a　relation　to　their　students



analogous　to　that　in　which　the　〃coaches〃　stand　to　the　athletes。



What　is　had　in　view　is　the　exigencies；　expedients　and　strategy　of



successful　practice；　and　not　so　much　a　grasp　of　even　those



quasi…scientific　articles　of　metaphysics　that　lie　at　the　root　of



the　legal　system。　What　is　required　and　inculcated　in　the　way　of　a



knowledge　of　these　elements　of　law　is　a　familiarity　with　their



strategic　use。



　　　　The　profession　of　the　Law　is；　of　course；　an　honourable



profession；　and　it　is　doubtless　believed　by　its　apologists　to　be



a　useful　profession；　on　the　whole；　but　a　body　of　lawyers　somewhat



less　numerous；　and　with　a　lower　average　proficiency　in　legal



subtleties　and　expedients；　would　unquestionably　be　quite　as



serviceable　to　the　community　at　large　as　a　larger　number　of　such



men　with　a　higher　efficiency；　at　the　same　time　they　would　be　less



costly；　both　as　to　initial　cost　and　as　to　the　expenses　of



maintenance　that　come　of　that　excessive　volume　and　retardation　of



litigation　due　to　an　extreme　facility　in　legal　technique　on　the



part　of　the　members　of　the　bar。



　　　　It　will　also　be　found　true　that　both　the　schools　of　law　and



those　of　commerce；　and　in　a　less　degree　the　other　vocational



schools；　serve　the　advantage　of　one　class　as　against　another。　In



the　measure　in　which　these　schools　accomplish　what　they　aim　at；



they　increase　the　advantage　of　such　men　as　already　have　some



advantage　over　the　common　run。　The　instruction　is　half…way



gratuitous；　that　is　the　purpose　of　placing　these　schools　on　a



foundation　or　maintaining　them　at　the　public　expense。　It　is



presumed　to　be　worth　more　than　its　cost　to　the　students。　The　fees



and　other　incidental　expenses　do　not　nearly　cover　the　cost　of　the



schools；　otherwise　no　foundation　or　support　from　the　public　funds



would　be　required；　and　the　universities　would　have　no　colourable



excuse　for　going　into　this　field。　But　even　if　the　instruction　and



facilities　offered　by　these　schools　are　virtually　gratuitous；　yet



the　fees　and　incidental　expenses；　together　with　the　expenditure



of　time　and　the　cost　of　living　required　for　a　residence　at　the



schools；　make　up　so　considerable　an　item　of　expense　as



effectually　to　exclude　the　majority　of　those　young　men　who　might



otherwise　be　inclined　to　avail　themselves　of　these　advantages。　In



effect；　none　can　afford　the　time　and　expense　of　this　business



training；　whether　in　Commerce；　Law；　or　the　other　professions；



except　those　who　are　already　possessed　of　something　more　than　the



average　wealth　or　average　income；　and　none；　presumably；　take



kindly　to　this　training；　in　commerce　or　law；　e。g。；　except　those



who　already　have　something　more　than　the　average　taste　and



aptitude　for　business　traffic；　or　who　have　a　promising　〃opening〃



of　this　character　in　sight。　So　that　this　training　that　is　desired



to　serve　the　private　advantage　of　commercial　students　is；　for　the



greater　part；　extended　to　a　select　body　of　young　men；　only　such



applicants　being　eligible；　in　effect；　as　do　not　on　any　showing



need　this　gratuity。



　　　　In　proportion　to　the　work　which　it　undertakes；　the　College　of



Commerce　is　　or　it　would　be　if　it　lived　up　to　its　professions



　the　most　expensive　branch　of　the　university　corporation。　In



this　connection　the　case　of　the　law　school　offers　a　significant



object…lesson　of　what　to　expect　in　the　further　growth　of　the



schools　of　commerce。　The　law　school　is　of　older　standing　and



maturer　growth；　at　the　same　time　that　its　aims　and　circumstances



are　of　much　the　same　general　character　as　those　that　condition



the　schools　of　commerce；　and　it　is　therefore　to　be　taken　as



indicating　something　of　what　must　be　looked　for　in　the　college　of



commerce　if　it　is　to　do　the　work　for　which　it　is　established。　The



indications；　then；　are　（a）　that　the　instruction　in　the　field　of



commercial　training　may　be　expected　gradually　to　fall　into　a　more



rigidly　drawn　curriculum；　which　will　discard　all　irrelevant



theoretical　excursions　and　will　diverge　more　and　more　widely　from



the　ways　of　scientific　inquiry；　in　proportion　as　experience　and



tactful　organization　bring　the　school　to　a　maturer　insight　into



its　purposes　and　a　more　consistent　adherence　to　its　chief　purpose



of　training　expert　men　for　the　higher　business　practice；　and　（b）



that　the　personnel　of　its　staff　must　increasingly　be　drawn　from



among　the　successful　businessmen；　rather　than　from　men　of



academic　training。



　　　　Among　the　immediate　consequences　of　this　latter　feature；　as



shown　in　the　example　of　the　law　schools；　is　a　relatively　high



cost。　The　schedule　of　salaries　in　the　law　schools　attached　to　the



universities；　e。　g。；　runs　appreciably　higher　than　in　the



university　proper。　the　reason　being；　of　course；　that　men　suitable



efficiently　to　serve　as　instructors　and　directive　officials　in　a



school　of　law　are　almost　necessarily　men　whose　services　in　the



practice　of　the　law　would　command　a　high　rate　of　pay。　What　is



needed　in　the　law　school　（as　in　the　school　of　commerce）　is　men



who　are　practically　conversant　with　the　ways　and　means　of　earning



large　fees；　　that　being　the　point　of　it　all。　Indeed；　the　scale



of　pay　which　their　services　will　command　in　the　open　market　is



the　chief　and　ordinary　test　of　their　fitness　for　the　work　of



instruction。　The　salaries　paid　these　men　of　affairs；　who　have　so



been　diverted　to　the　service　of　the　schools；　is　commonly　some



multiple　of　the　salary　assigned　to　men　of　a　comparable　ability



and　attainments　in　the　academic　work　proper。　The　academic　rank



assigned　them　is　also　necessarily；　and　for　the　like　reason；



commensurate　with　their　higher　scale　of　pay；　all　of　which　throws



an　undue　preponderance　of　discretion　and　authority　into　the　hands



of　these　men　of　affairs；　and　so　introduces　a　disproportionate



bias　in　favour　of　unscientific　and　unscholarly　aims　and　ideals　in



the　university　at　large。



　　　　Judged　by　the　example　of　the　law　schools；　then；　the　college



of　commerce；　if　it　is　to　live　and　thrive；　may　be　counted　on　to



divert　a　much　larger　body　of　funds　from　legitimate　university



uses；　and　to　create　more　of　a　bias　hostile　to　scholarly　and



scientific　work　in　the　academic　body；　than　the　mere　numeric