首页 >出版文学> The Theory of the Leisure Class>第45章
  Thehigherlearningowestheintrusionofthesciencesinparttotheseaberrantscionsoftheleisureclass,whohavecomeunderthedominantinfluenceofthelatter-daytraditionofimpersonalrelationandwhohaveinheritedacomplementofhumanaptitudesdifferingincertainsalientfeaturesfromthetemperamentwhichischaracteristicoftheregimeofstatus。Butitowesthepresenceofthisalienbodyofscientificknowledgealsoinpart,andinahigherdegree,tomembersoftheindustriousclasseswhohavebeeninsufficientlyeasycircumstancestoturntheirattentiontootherintereststhanthatoffindingdailysustenance,andwhoseinheritedaptitudesandanthropomorphicpointofviewdoesnotdominatetheirintellectualprocesses。Asbetweenthesetwogroups,whichapproximatelycomprisetheeffectiveforceofscientificprogress,itisthelatterthathascontributedthemost。Andwithrespecttobothitseemstobetruethattheyarenotsomuchthesourceasthevehicle,oratthemosttheyaretheinstrumentofcommutation,bywhichthehabitsofthoughtenforceduponthecommunity,throughcontactwithitsenvironmentundertheexigenciesofmodernassociatedlifeandthemechanicalindustries,areturnedtoaccountfortheoreticalknowledge。
  Science,inthesenseofanarticulaterecognitionofcausalsequenceinphenomena,whetherphysicalorsocial,hasbeenafeatureoftheWesterncultureonlysincetheindustrialprocessintheWesterncommunitieshascometobesubstantiallyaprocessofmechanicalcontrivancesinwhichman’sofficeisthatofdiscriminationandvaluationofmaterialforces。Sciencehasflourishedsomewhatinthesamedegreeastheindustriallifeofthecommunityhasconformedtothispattern,andsomewhatinthesamedegreeastheindustrialinteresthasdominatedthecommunity’slife。Andscience,andscientifictheoryespecially,hasmadeheadwayintheseveraldepartmentsofhumanlifeandknowledgeinproportionaseachoftheseseveraldepartmentshassuccessivelycomeintoclosercontactwiththeindustrialprocessandtheeconomicinterest;orperhapsitistruertosay,inproportionaseachofthemhassuccessivelyescapedfromthedominanceoftheconceptionsofpersonalrelationorstatus,andofthederivativecanonsofanthropomorphicfitnessandhonorificworth。
  Itisonlyastheexigenciesofmodernindustriallifehaveenforcedtherecognitionofcausalsequenceinthepracticalcontactofmankindwiththeirenvironment,thatmenhavecometosystematizethephenomenaofthisenvironmentandthefactsoftheirowncontactwithit,intermsofcausalsequence。Sothatwhilethehigherlearninginitsbestdevelopment,astheperfectflowerofscholasticismandclassicism,wasaby-productofthepriestlyofficeandthelifeofleisure,somodernsciencemaybesaidtobeaby-productoftheindustrialprocess。Throughthesegroupsofmen,then——investigators,savants,scientists,inventors,speculators——mostofwhomhavedonetheirmosttellingworkoutsidetheshelteroftheschools,thehabitsofthoughtenforcedbythemodernindustriallifehavefoundcoherentexpressionandelaborationasabodyoftheoreticalsciencehavingtodowiththecausalsequenceofphenomena。Andfromthisextra-scholasticfieldofscientificspeculation,changesofmethodandpurposehavefromtimetotimebeenintrudedintothescholasticdiscipline。
  Inthisconnectionitistoberemarkedthattheresaveryperceptibledifferenceofsubstanceandpurposebetweentheinstructionofferedintheprimaryandsecondaryschools,ontheonehand,andinthehigherseminariesoflearning,ontheotherhand。Thedifferenceinpointofimmediatepracticalityoftheinformationimpartedandoftheproficiencyacquiredmaybeofsomeconsequenceandmaymerittheattentionwhichithasfromtimetotimereceived;butthereismoresubstantialdifferenceinthementalandspiritualbentwhichisfavoredbytheoneandtheotherdiscipline。Thisdivergenttrendindisciplinebetweenthehigherandthelowerlearningisespeciallynoticeableasregardstheprimaryeducationinitslatestdevelopmentintheadvancedindustrialcommunities。Heretheinstructionisdirectedchieflytoproficiencyordexterity,intellectualandmanual,intheapprehensionandemploymentofimpersonalfacts,intheircasualratherthanintheirhonorificincidence。Itistrue,underthetraditionsoftheearlierdays,whentheprimaryeducationwasalsopredominantlyaleisure-classcommodity,afreeuseisstillmadofemulationasaspurtodiligenceinthecommonrunofprimaryschools;buteventhisuseofemulationasanexpedientisvisiblydecliningintheprimarygradesofinstructionincommunitieswherethelowereducationisnotundertheguidanceoftheecclesiasticalormilitarytradition。Allthisholdstrueinapeculiardegree,andmoreespeciallyonthespiritualside,ofsuchportionsoftheeducationalsystemashavebeenimmediatelyaffectedbykindergartenmethodsandideals。
  Thepeculiarlynon-invidioustrendofthekindergartendiscipline,andthesimilarcharacterofthekindergarteninfluenceinprimaryeducationbeyondthelimitsofthekindergartenproper,shouldbetakeninconnectionwithwhathasalreadybeensaidofthepeculiarspiritualattitudeofleisure-classwomankindunderthecircumstancesofthemoderneconomicsituation。Thekindergartendisciplineisatitsbest——
  oratitsfarthestremovefromancientpatriarchalandpedagogicalideals——intheadvancedindustrialcommunities,wherethereisaconsiderablebodyofintelligentandidlewomen,andwherethesystemofstatushassomewhatabatedinrigorunderthedisintegratinginfluenceofindustriallifeandintheabsenceofaconsistentbodyofmilitaryandecclesiasticaltraditions。Itisfromthesewomenineasycircumstancesthatitgetsitsmoralsupport。Theaimsandmethodsofthekindergartencommendthemselveswithespecialeffecttothisclassofwomenwhoareillateaseunderthepecuniarycodeofreputablelife。
  Thekindergarten,andwhateverthekindergartenspiritcountsforinmoderneducation,therefore,istobesetdown,alongwiththe“new-womanmovement,“totheaccountofthatrevulsionagainstfutilityandinvidiouscomparisonwhichtheleisure-classlifeundermoderncircumstancesinducesinthewomenmostimmediatelyexposedtoitsdiscipline。Inthiswayitappearsthat,byindirection,theinstitutionofaleisureclasshereagainfavorsthegrowthofanon-invidiousattitude,whichmay,inthelongrun,proveamenacetothestabilityoftheinstitutionitself,andeventotheinstitutionofindividualownershiponwhichitrests。
  Duringtherecentpastsometangiblechangeshavetakenplaceinthescopeofcollegeanduniversityteaching。Thesechangeshaveinthemainconsistedinapartialdisplacementofthehumanities——thosebranchesoflearningwhichareconceivedtomakeforthetraditional“culture“,character,tastes,andideals——bythosemorematter-of-factbrancheswhichmakeforcivicandindustrialefficiency。Toputthesamethinginotherwords,thosebranchesofknowledgewhichmakeforefficiencyultimatelyproductiveefficiencyhavegraduallybeengaininggroundagainstthosebrancheswhichmakeforaheightenedconsumptionoraloweredindustrialefficiencyandforatypeofcharactersuitedtotheregimeofstatus。Inthisadaptationoftheschemeofinstructionthehigherschoolshavecommonlybeenfoundontheconservativeside;eachstepwhichtheyhavetakeninadvancehasbeentosomeextentofthenatureofaconcession。
  Thescienceshavebeenintrudedintothescholar’sdisciplinefromwithout,nottosayfrombelow。Itisnoticeablethatthehumanitieswhichhavesoreluctantlyyieldedgroundtothesciencesareprettyuniformlyadaptedtoshapethecharacterofthestudentinaccordancewithatraditionalself-centredschemeofconsumption;aschemeofcontemplationandenjoymentofthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood,accordingtoaconventionalstandardofproprietyandexcellence,thesalientfeatureofwhichisleisure——otiumcumdignitate。Inlanguageveiledbytheirownhabituationtothearchaic,decorouspointofview,thespokesmenofthehumanitieshaveinsistedupontheidealembodiedinthemaxim,frugesconsumerenati。Thisattitudeshouldoccasionnosurpriseinthecaseofschoolswhichareshapedbyandrestuponaleisure-classculture。
  Theprofessedgroundsonwhichithasbeensought,asfarasmightbe,tomaintainthereceivedstandardsandmethodsofcultureintactarelikewisecharacteristicofthearchaictemperamentandoftheleisure-classtheoryoflife。Theenjoymentandthebentderivedfromhabitualcontemplationofthelife,ideals,speculations,andmethodsofconsumingtimeandgoods,invogueamongtheleisureclassofclassicaltimeandgoods,invogueamongtheleisureclassofclassicalantiquity,forinstance,isfelttobe“higher“,“nobler“,“worthier“,thanwhatresultsintheserespectsfromalikefamiliaritywiththeeverydaylifeandtheknowledgeandaspirationsofcommonplacehumanityinamoderncommunity。thatlearningthecontentofwhichisanunmitigatedknowledgeoflatter-daymenandthingsisbycomparison“lower“,“base“,“ignoble“——oneevenhearstheepithet“sub-human“appliedtothismatter-of-factknowledgeofmankindandofeverydaylife。
  Thiscontentionoftheleisure-classspokesmenofthehumanitiesseemstobesubstantiallysound。Inpointofsubstantialfact,thegratificationandtheculture,orthespiritualattitudeorhabitofmind,resultingfromanhabitualcontemplationoftheanthropomorphism,clannishness,andleisurelyself-complacencyofthegentlemanofanearlyday,orfromafamiliaritywiththeanimisticsuperstitionsandtheexuberanttruculenceoftheHomericheroes,forinstance,is,aestheticallyconsidered,morelegitimatethanthecorrespondingresultsderivedfromamatter-of-factknowledgeofthingsandacontemplationoflatter-daycivicorworkmanlikeefficiency。
  Therecanbebutlittlequestionthatthefirst-namedhabitshavetheadvantageinrespectofaestheticorhonorificvalue,andthereforeinrespectofthe“worth“whichismadethebasisofawardinthecomparison。Thecontentofthecanonsoftaste,andmoreparticularlyofthecanonsofhonor,isinthenatureofthingsaresultantofthepastlifeandcircumstancesoftherace,transmittedtothelatergenerationbyinheritanceorbytradition;andthefactthattheprotracteddominanceofapredatory,leisure-classschemeoflifehasprofoundlyshapedthehabitofmindandthepointofviewoftheraceinthepast,isasufficientbasisforanaestheticallylegitimatedominanceofsuchaschemeoflifeinverymuchofwhatconcernsmattersoftasteinthepresent。Forthepurposeinhand,canonsoftasteareracehabits,acquiredthroughamoreorlessprotractedhabituationtotheapprovalordisapprovalofthekindofthingsuponwhichafavorableorunfavorablejudgmentoftasteispassed。Otherthingsbeingequal,thelongerandmoreunbrokenthehabituation,themorelegitimateisthecanonoftasteinquestion。Allthisseemstobeeventruerofjudgmentsregardingworthorhonorthanofjudgmentsoftastegenerally。
  Butwhatevermaybetheaestheticlegitimacyofthederogatoryjudgmentpassedonthenewerlearningbythespokesmenofthehumanities,andhoweversubstantialmaybethemeritsofthecontentionthattheclassicloreisworthierandresultsinamoretrulyhumancultureandcharacter,itdoesnotconcernthequestioninhand。Thequestioninhandisastohowfarthesebranchesoflearning,andthepointofviewforwhichtheystandintheeducationalsystem,helporhinderanefficientcollectivelifeundermodernindustrialcircumstances——howfartheyfurtheramorefacileadaptationtotheeconomicsituationoftoday。Thequestionisaneconomic,notanaestheticone;andtheleisure-classstandardsoflearningwhichfindexpressioninthedeprecatoryattitudeofthehigherschoolstowardsmatter-of-factknowledgeare,forthepresentpurpose,tobevaluedfromthispointofviewonly。Forthispurposetheuseofsuchepithetsas“noble“,“base“,“higher“,“lower“,etc。,issignificantonlyasshowingtheanimusandthepointofviewofthedisputants;
  whethertheycontendfortheworthinessoftheneworoftheold。
  Alltheseepithetsarehonorificorhumilificterms;thatistosay,theyaretermsofinvidiouscomparison,whichinthelastanalysisfallunderthecategoryofthereputableorthedisreputable;thatis,theybelongwithintherangeofideasthatcharacterizestheschemeoflifeoftheregimeofstatus;thatis,theyareinsubstanceanexpressionofsportsmanship——ofthepredatoryandanimistichabitofmind;thatis,theyindicateanarchaicpointofviewandtheoryoflife,whichmayfitthepredatorystageofcultureandofeconomicorganizationfromwhichtheyhavesprung,butwhichare,fromthepointofviewofeconomicefficiencyinthebroadersense,disserviceableanachronisms。