the higher learning in america-第3部分

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enterprise　is　actuated　by　an　idle　curiosity；　a　disinterested



proclivity　to　gain　a　knowledge　of　things　and　to　reduce　this



knowledge　to　a　comprehensible　system。　The　objective　end　is　a



theoretical　organization。　a　logical　articulation　of　things　known；



the　lines　of　which　must　not　be　deflected　by　any　consideration　of



expediency　or　convenience；　but　must　run　true　to　the　canons　of



reality　accepted　at　the　time。　These　canons　of　reality；　or　of



verity；　have　varied　from　time　to　time；　have　in　fact　varied



incontinently　with　the　passage　of　time　and　the　mutations　of



experience。　As　the　fashions　of　modern　time　have　come　on；



particularly　the　later　phases　of　modern　life；　the　experience　that



so　has　shaped　and　reshaped　the　canons　of　verity　for　the　use　of



inquiring　minds　has　fallen　more　and　more　into　the　lines　of



mechanical　articulation　and　has　expressed　itself　ever　more



unreservedly　in　terms　of　mechanical　stress。　Concomitantly　the



canons　of　reality　have　taken　on　a　mechanistic　complexion；　to　the



neglect　and　progressive　disuse　of　all　tests　and　standards　of　a



more　genial　sort；　until　in　the　off…hand　apprehension　of　modern



men；　〃reality〃　comes　near　being　identified　with　mechanical　fact；



and　〃verification〃　is　taken　to　mean　a　formulation　in　mechanical



terms。　But　the　final　test　of　this　reality　about　which　the



inquiries　of　modern　men　so　turn　is　not　the　test　of　mechanical



serviceability　for　human　use；　but　only　of　mechanistically



effectual　matter…of…fact。







　　　　So　it　has　come　about　that　modern　civilization　is　in　a　very



special　degree　a　culture　of　the　intellectual　powers；　in　the



narrower　sense　of　the　term；　as　contrasted　with　the　emotional



traits　of　human　nature。　Its　achievements　and　chief　merits　are



found　in　this　field　of　learning；　and　its　chief　defects　elsewhere。



And　it　is　on　its　achievements　in　this　domain　of　detached　and



dispassionate　knowledge　that　modern　civilized　mankind　most



ingenuously　plumes　itself　and　confidently　rests　its　hopes。　The



more　emotional　and　spiritual　virtues　that　once　held　the　first



place　have　been　overshadowed　by　the　increasing　consideration



given　to　proficiency　in　matter…of…fact　knowledge。　As　prime　movers



in　the　tide　of　civilized　life；　these　sentimental　movements　of　the



human　spirit　belong　in　the　past；　…at　least　such　is　the



self…complacent　avowal　of　the　modern　spokesmen　of　culture。　The



modern　technology；　and　the　mechanistic　conception　of　things　that



goes　with　that　technology；　are　alien　to　the　spirit　of　the　〃Old



Order。〃　The　Church；　the　court；　the　camp；　the　drawing…room；　where



these　elder　and　perhaps　nobler　virtues　had　their　laboratory　and



playground；　have　grown　weedy　and　gone　to　seed。　Much　of　the



apparatus　of　the　old　order；　with　the　good　old　way；　still　stands



over　in　a　state　of　decent　repair；　and　the　sentimentally



reminiscent　endeavors　of　certain　spiritual　〃hold…overs〃　still



lend　this　apparatus　of　archaism　something　of　a　galvanic　life。　But



that　power　of　aspiration　that　once　surged　full　and　hot　in　the



cults　of　faith；　fashion；　sentiment；　exploit；　and　honor；　now　at



its　best　comes　to　such　a　head　as　it　may　in　the　concerted



adulation　of　matter…of…fact。



　　　　This　esoteric　knowledge　of　matter…of…fact　has　come　to　be



accepted　as　something　worth　while　in　its　own　right；　a



self…legitimating　end　of　endeavor　in　itself；　apart　from　any



bearing　it　may　have　on　the　glory　of　God　or　the　good　of　man。　Men



have；　no　doubt；　always　been　possessed　of　a　more　or　less　urgent



propensity　to　inquire　into　the　nature　of　things；　beyond　the



serviceability　of　any　knowledge　so　gained；　and　have　always　been



given　to　seeking　curious　explanations　of　things　at　large。　The



idle　curiosity　is　a　native　trait　of　the　race。　But　in　past　times



such　a　disinterested　pursuit　of　unprofitable　knowledge　has；　by



and　large；　not　been　freely　avowed　as　a　legitimate　end　of



endeavour；　or　such　has　at　any　rate　been　the　state　of　the　case



through　that　later　segment　of　history　which　students　commonly



take　account　of。　A　quest　of　knowledge　has　overtly　been　rated　as



meritorious；　or　even　blameless；　only　in　so　far　as　it　has　appeared



to　serve　the　ends　of　one　or　another　of　the　practical　interests



that　have　from　time　to　time　occupied　men's　attention。　But



latterly；　during　the　past　few　generations；　this　learning　has　so



far　become　an　avowed　〃end　in　itself〃　that　〃the　increase　and



diffusion　of　knowledge　among　men〃　is　now　freely　rated　as　the　most



humane　and　meritorious　work　to　be　taken　care　of　by　any



enlightened　community　or　any　public…spirited　friend　of



civilization。



　　　　The　expediency　of　such　〃increase　and　diffusion〃　is　no　longer



held　in　doubt；　because　it　has　ceased　to　be　a　question　of



expediency　among　the　enlightened　nations；　being　itself　the



consummation　upon　which；　in　the　apprehension　of　civilized　men；



the　advance　of　culture　must　converge。　Such　has　come　to　be　the



long…term　common　sense　judgment　of　enlightened　public　opinion。　A



settled　presumption　to　some　such　effect　has　found　lodgment　as　a



commonplace　conviction　in　the　popular　mind；　in　much　the　same



measure　and　in　much　the　same　period　of　time　as　the　current　body



of　systematic　knowledge　has　taken　on　the　character　of　matter　of



fact。　For　good　or　ill；　civilized　men　have　come　to　hold　that　this



matter…of…fact　knowledge　of　things　is　the　only　end　in　life　that



indubitably　justifies　itself。　So　that　nothing　more　irretrievably



shameful　could　overtake　modern　civilization　than　the　miscarriage



of　this　modern　learning；　which　is　the　most　valued　spiritual　asset



of　civilized　mankind。



　　　　The　truth　of　this　view　is　borne　out　by　the　professions　even



of　those　lieutenants　of　the　powers　of　darkness　who　are　straining



to　lay　waste　and　debauch　the　peoples　of　Christendom。　In



high…pitched　concert　they　all　swear　by　the　name　of　a　〃culture〃



whose　sole　inalienable　asset　is　this　same　intellectual　mastery　of



matters　of　fact。　At　the　same　time　it　is　only　by　drawing　on　the



resources　of　this　matter…of…fact　knowledge　that　the　protagonists



of　reaction　are　able　to　carry　on　their　campaign　of　debauchery　and



desolation。







　　　　Other　interests　that　have　once　been　held　in　higher　esteem



appear　by　comparison　to　have　fallen　into　abeyance；　　religious



devotion；　political　prestige；　fighting　capacity；　gentility；



pecuniary　distinction；　profuse　consumption　of　goods。　But　it　is



only　by　comparison　with　the　higher　value　given　to　this　enterprise



of　the　intellect　that　such　other　interests　appear　to　have　lost



ground。　These　and　the　like　have　fallen　into　relative　disesteem；



as　being　sordid　and　insubstantial　by　comparison。　Not　that　these



〃lower〃　human　interests；　answering　to　the　〃lower〃　ranges　of　human



intellect；　have　fallen　into　neglect；　it　is　only　that　they　have



come　to　be　accounted　〃lower；〃　as　contrasted　with　the　quest　of



knowledge；　and　it　is　only　on　sober　second　thought；　and　perhaps



only　for　the　ephemeral　present；　that　they　are　so　accounted　by　the



common　run　of　civilized　mankind。　Men　still　are　in　sufficiently



hot　pursuit　of　all　these　time…worn　amenities；　and　each　for



himself　is；　in　point　of　fact；　more　than　likely　to　make　the



pursuit　of　such　self…seeking　ends　the　burden　of　his　life；　but　on



a　dispassionate　rating；　and　under　the　corrective　of　deliberate



avowal；　it　will　appear　that　none　of　these　commend　themselves　as



intrinsically　worth　while　at　large。　At　the　best　they　are　rated　as



expedient　concessions　to　human　infirmity　or　as　measures　of



defense　against　human　perversity　and　the　outrages　of　fortune。　The



last　resort　of　the　apologists　for　these　more　sordid　endeavours　is



the　plea　that　only　by　this　means　can　the　ulterior　ends　of　a



civilization　of　intelligence　be　served。　The　argument　may　fairly



be　paraphrased　to　the　effect　that　in　order　to　serve　God　in　the



end；　we　must　all　be　ready　to　serve　the　Devil　in　the　meantime。







　　　　It　is　always　possible；　of　course；　that　this　pre…eminence　of



intellectual　enterprise　in　the　civilization　of　the　Western



peoples　is　a　transient　episode；　that　it　may　eventually　　perhaps



even　precipitately；　with　the　next　impending　turn　in　the　fortunes



of　this　civilization　　again　be　relegated　to　a　secondary　place



in　the　scheme　of　things　and　become　only　an　instrumentality　in　the



service　of　some　dominant　aim　or　impulse；　such　as　a　vainglorious



patriotism；　or　dynastic　politics；　or　the　breeding　of　a　commercial



aristocracy。　More　than　one　of　the　nations　of　Europe　have　moved　so



far　in　this　matter　already　as　to　place　the　primacy　of　science　and



scholarship　in　doubt　as　against　warlike　ambitions；　and　the



aspirations　of　the　American　community　appear　to　be　divided　



between　patriotism　in　the　service　of　the　captains　of　war；　and



commerce　in　the　service　of　the　captains　of　finance。　But　hitherto



the　spokesmen　of　any　such　cultural　reversion　are　careful　to



declare　a　perfunctory　faith　in　that　civilization　of　disinterested



intellectual　achievement　which　they　are　endeavouring　to　suborn　to



their　several　ends。　That　such　pro　forma　declarations　are　found



necessary　argues　that　the　faith　in　a　civilization　of　intelligence



is　still　so　far　intact　as　to　require　all　reactionaries　to　make



their　peace　with　it。



　　　　Meantime　the　easy　matter…of…course　presumption　that　such　a



civilization　of　intelligence　justifies　itself　goes　to　argue　that



the　current　bias　which　so　comes　to　expression　will　be　the　outcome



of　a　secure　and　protracted　experience。　What　underlies　and　has



brought　on　this　bent　in　the　temper　of　the　civilized　peoples　i