the higher learning in america-第41章

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practical　powers；　instincts　and　sympathies　which　can　be　developed



only　in　action；　only　through　experience？。。。　That　broader　training



is　just　what　is　needed　by　the　higher　and　more　responsible　ranks



of　business；　both　private　and　public。。。。　Success　in　large　trading



has　always　needed　breadth　of　view。〃







7。　Cf。；　e。g。；　Report　of　a　Conference　on　Commercial　Education　and



Business　Progress；　In　connection　with　the　dedication　of　the



Commerce　Building；　at　the　University　of　Illinois；　1913。　The



somewhat　raucous　note　of　self…complacency　that　pervades　this



characteristic　document　should　not　be　allowed　to　lessen　its　value



as　evidence　of　the　spirit　for　which　it　speaks。　Indeed；　whatever



it　may　show；　of　effrontery　and　disingenuousness；　is　rather　to　be



taken　as　of　the　essence　of　the　case。　It　might　prove　difficult　to



find　an　equally　unabashed　pronouncement　of　the　like　volume　and



consistency　put　forth　under　the　like　academic　auspices；　but　it



does　by　no　means　stand　alone；　and　its　perfections　should　not　be



counted　against　it。







8。　This　characterization　applies　without　abatement　to　the　schools



of　commerce　as　commonly　designed　at　their　foundation　and　set



forth　in　their　public　announcements；　and　to　their　work　in　so　far



as　they　live　up　to　their　professions。　At　the　same　time　it　is　to



be　noted　that　few　of　these　schools　successfully　keep　their　work



clear　of　all　entanglement　with　theoretical　discussions　that　have



only　a　scientific　bearing。　And　it　is　also　quite　feasible　to



organize　a　〃school　of　commerce〃　on　lines　of　scientific　inquiry



with　the　avowed　purpose　of　dealing　with　business　enterprise　in



its　various　ramifications　as　subject　matter　of　theoretical



investigation；　but　such　is　not　the　avowed　aim　of　the　established



schools　of　this　class；　and　such　is　not　the　actual　character　of



the　work　carried　on　in　these　schools；　except　by　inadvertence。







9。　It　is　doubtless　within　the　mark　to　say　that　the　training　given



by　the　American　schools　of　commerce　is　detrimental　to　the



community's　material　interests。　In　America；　even　in　a　more



pronounced　degree　than　elsewhere；　business　management　centres　on



financiering　and　salesmanship；　and　American　commercial　schools；



even　in　a　more　pronounced　degree　than　those　of　other　countries；



centre　their　attention　on　proficiency　in　these　matters；　because



these　are　the　matters　which　the　common　sense　of　the　American



business　community　knows　how　to　value；　and　on　which　it　insists　as



indispensable　qualifications　in　its　young　men。　The　besetting



infirmity　of　the　American　business　community；　as　witness　the　many



and　circumstantial　disclosures　of　the　〃efficiency　engineers；〃　and



of　others　who　have　had　occasion　to　speak　of　the　matter；　is　a



notable　indifference　to　the　economical　and　mechanically　efficient



use；　exploitation　and　conservation　of　equipment　and　resources；



coupled　with　an　equally　notable　want　of　insight　into　the



technological　needs　and　possibilities　of　the　industries　which



they　control。　The　typical　American　businessman　watches　the



industrial　process　from　ambush；　with　a　view　to　the　seizure　of　any



item　of　value　that　may　be　left　at　loose　ends。　Business　strategy



is　a　strategy　of　〃watchful　waiting；〃　at　the　centre　of　a　web；　very



alert　and　adroit；　but　remarkably　incompetent　in　the　way　of



anything　that　can　properly　be　called　〃industrial　enterprise。〃



　　　　The　concatenation　of　circumstances　that　has　brought　American



business　enterprise　to　this　inglorious　posture；　and　has　virtually



engrossed　the　direction　of　business　affairs　in　the　hands　of　men



endowed　with　the　spiritual　and　intellectual　traits　suitable　to



such　prehensile　enterprise；　can　not　be　gone　into　here。　The　fact；



however；　is　patent。　It　should　suffice　to　call　to　mind　the　large



fact；　as　notorious　as　it　is　discreditable；　that　the　American



business　community　has；　with　unexampled　freedom；　had　at　its



disposal　the　largest　and　best　body　of　resources　that　has　yet



become　available　to　modern　industry；　in　men；　materials　and



geographical　situation；　and　that　with　these　means　they　have



achieved　something　doubtfully　second…rate；　as　compared　with　the



industrial　achievements　of　other　countries　less　fortunately



placed　in　all　material　respects。



　　　　What　the　schools　of　commerce　now　offer　is　further



specialization　along　the　same　line　of　proficiency；　to　give



increased　facility　in　financiering　and　salesmanship。　This



specialization　on　commerce　is　like　other　specialization　in　that



it　draws　off　attention　and　interest　from　other　lines　than　those



in　which　the　specialization　falls；　thereby　widening　the



candidate's　field　of　ignorance　while　it　intensifies　his



effectiveness　within　his　specialty。　The　effect；　as　touches　the



community's　interest　in　the　matter；　should　be　an　enhancement　of



the　candidate's　proficiency　in　all　the　futile　ways　and　means　of



salesmanship　and　〃conspiracy　in　restraint　of　trade。〃　together



with　a　heightened　incapacity　and　ignorance　bearing　on　such　work



as　is　of　material　use。







10。　Latterly；　it　appears；　the　training　given　by　the　athletic



establishments　attached　to　the　universities　is　also　coming　to



have　a　value　as　vocational　training；　in　that　the　men　so　trained



and　vouched　for　by　these　establishments　are　finding　lucrative



employment　as　instructors；　coaches；　masseurs；　etc。；　engaged　in



similar　athletic　traffic　in　various　schools；　public　or　private。



So　also；　and　for　the　same　reason；　they　are　found　eligible　as



〃muscular　Christian〃　secretaries　in　charge　of　chapters　of　the



Y。M。C。A。　and　the　like　quasi…devout　clubs　and　gilds。　Indeed　in　all



but　the　name；　the　athletic　establishments　are　taking　on　the



character　of　〃schools〃　or　〃divisions〃　included　under　the



collective　academic　administration；　very　much　after　the　fashion



of　a　〃School　of　Education〃　or　a　〃School　of　Journalism〃；　and　they



are　in　effect　〃graduating〃　students　in　Athletics；　with　due；



though　hitherto　unofficial；　certification　of　proficiency。　So



also；　latterly；　one　meets　with　proposals；　made　in　good　faith；



among　official　academic　men　to　allow　due　〃academic　credit〃　for



training　in　athletics　and　let　it　count　toward　graduation。　By



indirection　and　subreption；　of　course；　much　of　the　training　given



in　athletics　already　does　so　count。











CHAPTER　VIII







Summary　and　Trial　Balance











　　　　As　in　earlier　passages；　so　here　in　speaking　of　profit　and



loss；　the　point　of　view　taken　is　neither　that　of　material



advantage；　whether　of　the　individuals　concerned　or　of　the



community　at　large；　nor　that　of　expediency　for　the　common　good　in



respect　of　prosperity　or　of　morals；　nor　is　the　appraisal　here



ventured　upon　to　be　taken　as　an　expression　of　praise　or　dispraise



at　large；　touching　this　incursion　of　business　principles　into　the



affairs　of　learning。



　　　　By　and　large；　the　intrusion　of　businesslike　ideals；　aims　and



methods　into　this　field；　with　all　the　consequences　that　follow；



may　be　commendable　or　the　reverse。　All　that　is　matter　for



attention　and　advisement　at　the　hands　of　such　as　aim　to　alter；



improve；　amend　or　conserve　the　run　of　institutional　phenomena



that　goes　to　make　up　the　current　situation。　The　present　inquiry



bears　on　the　higher　learning　as　it　comes　into　this　current



situation；　and　on　the　effect　of　this　recourse　to　business



principles　upon　the　pursuit　of　learning。



　　　　Not　that　this　learning　is　therefore　to　be　taken　as



necessarily　of　higher　and　more　substantial　value　than　that



traffic　in　competitive　gain　and　competitive　spending　upon　which



business　principles　converge；　and　in　which　they　find　their



consummate　expression；　　even　though　it　is　broadly　to　be



recognized　and　taken　account　of　that　such　is　the　deliberate



appraisal　awarded　by　the　common　sense　of　civilized　mankind。　The



profit　and　loss　here　spoken　for　is　not　profit　and　loss；　to



mankind　or　to　any　given　community；　in　respect　of　that　inclusive



complex　of　interests　that　makes　up　the　balanced　total　of　good　and



ill；　it　is　profit　and　loss　for　the　cause　of　learning；　simply；　and



there　is　here　no　aspiration　to　pass　on　ulterior　questions。　As



required　by　the　exigencies　of　such　an　argument；　it　is　therefore



assumed；　pro　forma；　that　profit　and　loss　for　the　pursuit　of



learning　is　profit　and　loss　without　reservation；　very　much　as　a



corporation　accountant　will　audit　income　and　outlay　within　the



affairs　of　the　corporation；　whereas；　qua　accountant；　he　will



perforce　have　nothing　to　say　as　to　the　ulterior　expediency　of　the



corporation　and　its　affairs　in　any　other　bearing。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I







　　　　Business　principles　take　effect　in　academic　affairs　most



simply；　obviously　and　avowably　in　the　way　of　a　businesslike



administration　of　the　scholastic　routine；　where　they　lead



immediately　to　a　bureaucratic　organization　and　a　system　of



scholastic　accountancy。　In　one　form　or　another；　some　such



administrative　machinery　is　a　necessity　in　any　large　school　that



is　to　be　managed　on　a　centralized　plan；　as　the　American　schools



commonly　are；　and　as；　more　particularly；　they　aim　to　be。　This



necessity　is　all　the　more　urgent　in　a　school　that　takes　over　the



discipline　of　a　large　body　of　pupils　that　have　not　reached　years



of　discretion；　as　is　also　commonly　the　case　with　those　American



schools　that　claim　rank　as　universities；　and　the　necessity　is　all



the　more　evident　to　men　whose　ideal　of　efficiency　is　the



centralized　control　exercised　through　a　system　of　accountancy　in



the　modern　large　business　concerns。　The　larger　American　schools



are　primarily　undergraduate　establishments；　　with　negligible



exceptions；　and　under　these　current　American　conditions；　of



excessive　numbers；　such　a　centralized　and　bureaucratic



administration　appears　to　be　indispensable　for　the　adequate



control　of　immature　and　reluctant　students；　at　the　same　time；



such　an　organization　conduces　to　an　excessive　size。　The　immediate



and　visible　effect　of　such　a　large　and　centralized　administrative



machinery　is；　on　the　whole；　detrimental　to　scholarship；　even　in



the　undergraduate　work；　though　it　need　not　be　so　in　all　respects



and　unequivocally；　so　far　as　regards　that　routine　training　that



is　embodied　in　the　undergraduate　curriculum。　But　it　is　at　least　a



necessary　evil　in　any　school　that　is　of　so　considerable　a　size　as



to　preclude　substantially　all　close　or　cordial　personal　relations



between　the　teachers　and