Universities-and-Their-Function

universities and their functionTheuniversitiesareschoolsofeducation,andschoolsofresearch.Buttheprimaryreasonfortheirexistenceisnottobefoundeitherinthemereknowledgeconveyedtothestudentsorinthemereopportunitiesforresearchaffordedtothemembersofthefaculty. Thejustificationofauniversityisthatitpreservestheconnectionbetweenknowledgeandthezestoflife,byunitingtheyoungandtheoldintheimaginativeconsiderationoflearning.Theuniversityimpartsinformation,butitimpartsitimaginatively.Atleast,thisisfunctionwhichitshouldperformforsociety.Auniversitywhichfailsinthisrespecthas noreasonforexistence.Thisatmosphereofexcitement,arisingfromimaginativeconsideration,transformsknowledge.Afactisnolongerabarefact:itisinvestedwithallitspossibilities.Itisnolongeraburdenonthemermory:itisenergizingasthepoetofdreams,andasthe architectofourpurposes. Imaginationisnottobedivorcedfromthefacts:itisawayofilluminatingthefacts.Itworksbyelictingthegeneralprincipleswhichapplytothefacts,astheyexist,andthenbyanintellectualsurveyofalternativepossibilitieswhichareconsistentwiththoseprinciples.Itenablesmentoconstructanintellectualvisionofsatisfyingpurposes. Youthisimaginative,andiftheimaginationbestrengthenedbydiscipline,thisenergyofimaginationcaningreatmeasurebepreservedthroughlife.Thetragedyoftheworldisthatthosewhoareexperiencedhavefeebleimagination.foolsactonimaginationwithoutknowledge;pedantsactonknowledgewithoutimagination.thetaskofauniversityistoweldtogetherimaginationandexperience.Theinitialdisciplineofimaginationinitsperiodofyouthfulvigourrequiresthattherebenoresponsibilityforimmediateaction.Thehabitofunbiasedthought,wherebytheidealvarietyofexemplificationisdiscernedinitsderivationfromgeneralprinciples,cannotbeacquiredwhenthereisthedailytaskofpreservingaconcreteorganisation.Youmustbefreetothinkrightlyandwrongly,andfreetoappreciatethevariousnessoftheuniverseundisturbedbyitsperils.Thesereflectionsuponthegeneralfunctionsofauniversitycanbeatoncetranslatedintermsoftheparticularfunctionsofabusinessschool.Weneednotflinchfromtheassertionthatthemainfunctionofsuchaschoolistoproducemenwithagreaterzestforbusiness.Itisalibeluponhumannaturetoconceivethatzestforlifeistheproductofpedestrianpurposesdirectedtowardthenarrowroutineofmaterialcomforts.Mankindbyitspioneeringinstinct,andinahundredotherways,proclaimsthefalsehoodofthatlie.Inthemoderncomplexsocialorganism,theadventureoflifecannotbedisjoinedfromintellectualadventure.Amidsimplercircumstances,thepioneercanfollowtheurgeofhisinstinct,directedtowardthesceneofhisvisionfromthemountaintop.Butinthecomplexorganisationsofmodernbusinesstheintellectualadventureofanalysis,andofimaginativereconstruction,mustprecedeanysuccessfulreorganisation.Inasimplerworld,businessrelationsweresimpler,beingbasedontheimmediatecontactofmanwithmanandonimmediateconfrontationwithallrelevantmaterialcircumstances.Todaybusinessorganisationrequiresanimaginativegraspofthepsychologiesofpopulationsengagedindifferingmodesofoccupation;ofpopulationsscatteredthroughcities,throughmountains,throughplains;ofpopulationsontheocean,andofpopulationsinmines,andofpopulationsinforests.Itrequiresanimaginativegraspofconditionsinthetropics,andofconditionsintemperatezones.Itrequiresanimaginativegraspoftheinterlockinginterestsofgreatorganisations,andofthereactionsofthewholecomplextoanychangeinoneofitselements.Itrequiresanimaginativeunderstandingoflawsofpoliticaleconomy,notmerelyintheabstract,butalsowiththepowertoconstruethemintermsoftheparticularcircumstancesofaconcretebusiness.Itrequiressomeknowledgeofthehabitsofgovernment,andofthevariationsofthosehabitsunderdiverseconditions.Itrequiresanimaginativevisionofthebindingforcesofanyhumanorganisation,asympatheticvisionofthelimitsofhumannatureandoftheconditionswhichevokeloyaltyofservice.Itrequiressomeknowledgeofthelawsofhealth,andofthelawsoffatigue,andoftheconditionsforsustainedreliability.Itrequiresanimaginativeunderstandingofthesocialeffectsoftheconditionsoffactories.Itrequiresasufficientconceptionoftheroleofappliedscienceinmodernsociety.Itrequiresthatdisciplineofcharacterwhichcansay`yes'and`no'toothermen,notbyreasonofblindobstinacy,butwithfirmnessderivedfromaconsciousevaluationofrelevantalternatives.Theuniversitieshavetrainedtheintellectualpioneersofourcivilisation-thepriests,thelawyers,thestatesmen,thedoctors,themenofscience,andthemenofletters.Theyhavebeenthehomeofthoseidealswhichleadmentoconfronttheconfusionoftheirpresenttimes.ThePilgrimFathersleftEnglandtofoundastateofsocietyaccordingtotheidealsoftheirreligiousfaith;andoneoftheirearlieractswasthefoundationofHarvardUniversityinCambridge,namedafterthatancientmotherofidealsinEngland,towhichsomanyofthemowedtheirtraining.Theconductofbusinessnowrequiresintellectualimaginationofthesametypeasthatwhichinformertimeshasmainlypassedintothoseotheroccupations;andtheuniversitiesaretheorganisationswhichhavesuppliedthistypeofmentalityfortheserviceoftheprogressoftheEuropeanraces.Inearlymediaevalhistorytheoriginofuniversitieswasobscureandalmostunnoticed.Theywereagradualandnaturalgrowth.Buttheirexistenceisthereasonforthesustained,rapidprogressivenessofEuropeanlifeinsomanyfieldsofactivity.Bytheiragencytheadventureofactionmettheadventureofthought.Itwouldnothavebeenpossibleantecedentlytohavedivinedthatsuchorganisationswouldhavebeensuccessful.Evennow,amidtheimperfectionsofallthingshuman,itissometimesdifficulttounderstandhowtheysucceedintheirwork.Ofcoursethereismuchfailureintheworkofuniversities.But,ifwetakeabroadviewofhistory,theirsuccesshasbeenremarkableandalmostuniform.TheculturalhistoriesofItaly,ofFrance,ofGermany,ofHolland,ofScotland,ofEngland,oftheUnitedStates,bearwitnesstotheinfluenceofuniversities.By`culturalhistory'Iamnotchieflythinkingofthelivesofscholars;ImeantheenergisingofthelivesofthosemenwhogavetoFrance,toGermany,andtoothercountriesthatimpressoftypesofhumanachievementwhich,bytheiradditiontothezestoflife,formthefoundationofourpatriotism.Welovetobemembersofasocietywhichcandothosethings.Thereisonegreatdifficultywhichhampersallthehighertypesofhumanendeavour.Inmoderntimesthisdifficultyhasevenincreasedinitspossibilitiesforevil.Inanylargeorganisationtheyoungermen,whoarenovices,mustbesettojobswhichconsistincarryingoutfixeddutiesinobediencetoorders.Nopresidentofalargecorporationmeetshisyoungestemployeeathisofficedoorwiththeofferofthemostresponsiblejobwhichtheworkofthatcorporationincludes.Theyoungmenaresettoworkatafixedroutine,andonlyoccasionallyevenseethepresidentashepassesinandoutofthebuilding.Suchworkisagreatdiscipline.Itimpartsknowledge,anditproducesreliabilityofcharacter;alsoitistheonlyworkforwhichtheyoungmen,inthatnovicestage,arefit,anditistheworkforwhichtheyarehired.Therecanbenocriticismofthecustom,buttheremaybeanunfortunateeffectprolongedroutineworkdullstheimagination.Theresultisthatqualitiesessentialatalaterstageofacareerareapttobestampedoutinanearlierstage.Thisisonlyaninstanceofthemoregeneralfact,thatnecessarytechnicalexcellencecanonlybeacquiredbyatrainingwhichisapttodamagethoseenergiesofmindwhichshoulddirectthetechnicalskill.Thisisthekeyfactineducation,andthereasonformostofitsdifficulties.Thewayinwhichauniversityshouldfunctioninthepreparationforanintellectualcareer,suchasmodernbusinessoroneoftheolderprofessions,isbypromotingtheimaginativeconsiderationofthevariousgeneralprinciplesunderlyingthatcareer.Itsstudentsthuspassintotheirperiodoftechnicalapprenticeshipwiththeirimaginationsalreadypractisedinconnectingdetailswithgeneralprinciples.Theroutinethenreceivesitsmeaning,andalsoilluminatestheprincipleswhichgiveitthatmeaning.Hence,insteadofadrudgeryissuinginablindruleofthumb,theproperlytrainedmanhassomehopeofobtaininganimaginationdisciplinedbydetailedfactsandbynecessaryhabits.Thustheproperfunctionofauniversityistheimaginativeacquisitionofknowledge.Apartfromthisimportanceoftheimagination,thereisnoreasonwhybusinessmen,andotherprofessionalmen,shouldnotpickuptheirfactsbitbybitastheywantthemforparticularoccasions.Auniversityisimaginativeoritisnothing-atleastnothinguseful.（注：可编辑下载，若有不当之处，请指正，谢谢!）