1
1 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY:
KATY HANBURY and LAURA JERAULD
2 (Certified Real-Time Reporters)
CENTRAL FLORIDA REPORTERS, INC.
3 (407) 422-5753
4 "THE ROLE OF PRAGMATISM IS REDEFINING LIBERAL EDUCATION"
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1997 9:00 A.M.
5
(REAL-TIME PROCEEDINGS NOT PROOFREAD)
6
--------------------------------------------------------
7 MR. KATZ: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M
8 ASTONISHED TO SEE THIS MANY OF
YOU HERE THIS
9 MORNING. WE'VE HAD SUCH A RICH
FEAST FOR A VERY
10 LONG TIME. THIS IS AN ASTONISHING
DISPLAY OF
11 {}ZITZFLESCH, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE
HERE. I WANT TO
12 SAY, BY THE WAY, THAT THE NOTION
OF DON STEWART IS
13 WATCHING THE LUGGAGE IS NOT TRUE.
14 (Laughter)
15 HE IS SITTING HERE TODAY.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR
16 ANYONE ELSE, BUT LEE SHULMAN MAY
APPRECIATE THIS,
17 I'VE BEEN HAVING, I TOLD HIM YESTERDAY,
A BAD
18 ATTACK OF HUTCHINSITIS OVER THE
LAST 36 HOURS OR
19 SO, AND IT PUT ME IN MIND OF THE
RISKS THAT WE RUN
20 IN THIS ENTERPRISE THAT IS ADAPTING
OUR ENTERPRISE
21 TO CHANGING CONDITIONS. AND I
CAN DESCRIBE THAT BY
22 TELLING MY FAVORITE ROBERT MAYNARD
HUTCHINS STORY.
23 EVERYONE HAS ONE.
24 MINE IS ABOUT HUTCHINS' RELATIONS
WITH BRUCE
25 LEE RUMMELL, WHO AT THE TIME WAS
DEAN OF SOCIAL
2
1 SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO,
AND AS MANY
2 OF YOU WELL KNOW, WAS PREVIOUSLY
THE FOUNDATION
3 OFFICER WHO HAD CREATED THE SOCIAL
SCIENCES, AND IN
4 FACT, AT THE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES
HUTCHINS BROUGHT
5 INTO CHICAGO, AND HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL
IN HELPING
6 HUTCHINS DEVELOP HIS UNIVERSITY
OF CHICAGO.
7 BUT RUMMELL WAS NEVER SATISFIED
AND HE GOT
8 WHAT HE FELT WAS A MORE INTERESTING
JOB, WHICH WAS
9 TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF R.H.
MACY AND COMPANY
10 IN NEW YORK. AND HE WENT TO TELL
HUTCHINS, HE
11 SAID, HE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY
A MORE INTERESTING
12 JOB, AND HUTCHINS LOOKED AT HIM
AND SAID, OH,
13 RUMMELL, IT ISN'T. YOU'RE LIVING
IDEAS FOR
14 NOTIONS.
15 (Laughter)
16 THAT IS THE DISTINCTION I
WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE
17 YOU WITH. AND IT IS AN APPROPRIATE
STORY FOR OUR
18 SESSION BECAUSE WE HAVE TODAY TWO
OF THE MOST
19 INTERESTING HISTORIANS IN THIS
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE
20 WHO HAVE WORKED ON SUBJECTS, INCLUDING,
OF COURSE,
21 JOHN DEWEY, THAT ARE CENTRAL TO
THE CONFERENCE THAT
22 WE HAVE TODAY.
23 THE FIRST SPEAKER IS GOING
TO BE ELLEN
24 CONDLIFFE LAGEMANN, WHO IS NOW
AT NEW YORK
25 UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE IS PROFESSOR
OF HISTORY AND
3
1 EDUCATION AND IS RUNNING A NUMBER
OF INTERESTING
2 PROGRAMS AT A VERY INTERESTING
AND RAPIDLY CHANGING
3 UNIVERSITY.
4 SHE, FOR A VERY LONG TIME,
AS I THINK
5 EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS, WAS AT T.C.,
TEACHERS
6 COLLEGE, AND WAS AT THE END OF
HER TIME WHILE SHE
7 WAS THERE, THE EDITOR OF THE TEACHERS
COLLEGE
8 RECORD. AND IF ANY OF YOU ARE
REGULAR READERS OF
9 THAT PUBLICATION, YOU WILL REMEMBER
WITH NOSTALGIA
10 HER EDITORIALS, I GUESS YOU CALL
THEM EDITORIALS,
11 THAT APPEARED IN EVERY ISSUE WHICH
WERE SOME OF THE
12 MOST ACUTE AND INTERESTING AND
WELL-WRITTEN
13 STATEMENTS ABOUT PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION
AND HISTORY
14 OF EDUCATION.
15 SHE HAS HAD A VERY DISTINGUISHED
CAREER AS A
16 HISTORIAN, HAS WRITTEN A GREAT
MANY BOOKS, AND SHE
17 AND I WORK IN THE FIELD OF HISTORY
AND PHILANTHROPY
18 WHERE SHE'S EMERGED AS THE MOST
PROMINENT HISTORIAN
19 OF PHILANTHROPY. SHE IS A MEMBER
OF THE NATIONAL
20 ACADEMY OF EDUCATION. SHE'S PRESIDENT
OF THE
21 HISTORY OF EDUCATION SOCIETY, AND
IS A TRUSTEE OF
22 THE RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION, OF
THE MARKEL
23 FOUNDATION IN NEW YORK, AND OF
THE CENTER FOR THE
24 STUDIES OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
IN STANFORD.
25 SO SHE'S DONE A LOT OF INTERESTING
THINGS.
4
1 SHE'S A GRADUATE OF SMITH COLLEGE
AND T.C., AND SHE
2 WILL BE TALKING TO US THIS MORNING
ABOUT A
3 PRAGMATIC VISION OF LIBERAL EDUCATION
FROM
4 DISCIPLINE-BASED, PROBLEM-CENTERED
LEARNING. ELLEN
5 LAGEMANN.
6 (Applaud)
7 PROFESSOR LAGEMANN: IT'S
HORRIBLE TO HEAR
8 YOUR CV AT THIS HOUR OF THE MORNING.
JIM
9 KLOPPENBERG AND I HAVE BEEN COMMISERATING
ABOUT OUR
10 FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE OF HAVING
TO SPEAK THIS
11 MORNING, AND WE REACHED ESSENTIALLY
THREE
12 CONCLUSIONS THAT WE THOUGHT WE
SHOULD AVOW
13 PUBLICALLY BEFORE WE BEGIN.
14 THE FIRST IS THAT WE THINK
YOU'RE ALL
15 EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD AND BRAVE
TO BE HERE. AS STAN
16 WAS SAYING, WE'VE HAD A VERY FULL
COUPLE OF DAYS,
17 AND YOU COULD HAVE BEEN AT HOME
READING THE NEW
18 YORK TIMES OR BETTER YET, SLEEPING.
SO WE'RE VERY
19 PLEASED YOU'RE STILL HERE.
20 MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT,
JIM AND I AGREE THAT
21 IF YOU ARE GOOD AND BRAVE PEOPLE,
WE ARE BETTER AND
22 BRAVER BECAUSE TO BE HERE ON DAY
FOUR, FOLLOWING
23 THE BRAVURA OF PERFORMANCES WE'VE
HAD IN THE FIRST
24 THREE DAYS, IS TO PUT IT MILDLY,
INTIMIDATING.
25 THE LAST POINT THAT JIM AND
I AGREED ON IS
5
1 THAT THE LITTLE MOTTO FOR THE DAY
THAT I PRESUME
2 BOB ORRILL OR RITA OR SOMEBODY
PICKED SHOULD BE
3 CHANGED, AND IT SHOULD INSTEAD
READ, FOOLS RUSH IN
4 WHERE WISE PEOPLE FEAR TO GO.
SO I'M GOING TO RUSH
5 IN.
6 LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE CLAIMED,
INCLUDING, I
7 THINK, PRETTY MUCH EVERY SPEAKER
AT THIS MEETING,
8 THAT JOHN DEWEY'S PROSE WAS DENSE,
TURGID AND
9 IMPENETRABLE, BUT VERY FEW PEOPLE
TEND TO POINT
10 OUT, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY
HERE HAS POINTED
11 OUT, THAT IF DEWEY'S PROSE WAS
ON OCCASION LESS
12 THAN FELICITOUS, DEWEY WAS STILL
A MASTER OF THE
13 PITHY, APT PHRASE, AND IT IS ONE
SUCH PHRASE THAT
14 IS REALLY THE TEXT FOR WHAT I SHOULD
LIKE TO TALK
15 ABOUT THIS MORNING.
16 IN AN ESSAY HE WROTE IN THE
1920'S, DEWEY
17 REMARKED THAT THE PROBLEM OF AMERICAN
COLLEGES AND
18 UNIVERSITIES WAS THAT, QUOTE, ACADEMIC
CLOSETS HAD
19 BECOME TOO NARROW. IF THAT WAS
TRUE IN THE 1920'S,
20 IT IS PROBABLY EVEN MORE TRUE IN
1997, AND THE
21 PROBLEM OF NARROW ACADEMIC CLOSETS,
OTHERWISE KNOWN
22 AS EXCESSIVE SPECIALIZATION, IS
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS
23 ONE MUST CONFRONT, I BELIEVE, IN
THINKING ABOUT THE
24 RELEVANCE OF PRAGMATISM FOR LIBERAL
EDUCATION.
25 WITH THAT IN MIND, I SHOULD
LIKE TO SAY A FEW
6
1 WORDS ABOUT TWO EARLY 20TH CENTURY
THINKERS WHO
2 REFUSE TO MOVE INTO NARROW ACADEMIC
CLOSETS, THE
3 FIRST BEING JOHN DEWEY, AND THE
SECOND BEING JANE
4 ADDAMS, WHO PETER LYMANN MENTIONED
YESTERDAY. THEN
5 I SHOULD LIKE VERY GENERALLY TO
POINT TO A FEW OF
6 THE HISTORIC FORCES THAT HAVE LIMITED
THE PRACTICAL
7 APPLICATION AND WIDE INSTITUTIONALIZATION
OF THE
8 IDEAS EXPRESSED BY PRAGMATIC THINKERS
LIKE ADDAMS
9 AND DEWEY; AND FINALLY, I SHOULD
LIKE TO TURN THAT
10 PERHAPS DISHEARTENING STORY ON
ITS HEAD BY
11 VENTURING THE THOUGHT THAT, DIFFICULTIES
12 NOTWITHSTANDING, EFFORTS TO FOSTER
MORE
13 PROBLEM-CENTERED, PRAGMATIC APPROACHES
TO LIBERAL
14 EDUCATION MAY BE VALUABLE TODAY,
NOT ONLY BECAUSE
15 THEY CAN NURTURE THE HABITS OF
MIND AND CHARACTER
16 NECESSARY FOR LIFE IN A LARGE,
COMPLEX WORLD, BUT
17 ALSO BECAUSE THEY MAY BE HELPFUL
IN OVERCOMING SOME
18 OF THE DILEMMAS NOW CENTRAL TO
AMERICAN EDUCATION
19 AND AMERICAN SOCIETY.
20 TWO QUICK CAUTIONS I THINK
I SHOULD ADD. THE
21 FIRST WAS REALLY SORT OF IMPLICIT
IN THE AGREEMENTS
22 JIM KLOPPENBERG AND I HAVE REACHED,
AND THAT IS,
23 THAT INEVITABLY I AM GOING TO BE
REPEATING RATHER
24 QUICKLY MUCH THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE
ALREADY SAID, SO
25 I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME FOR THE
REPETITION.
7
1 THE SECOND IS THAT THE FANCY
OFFICIAL TITLE
2 FOR MY TALK THAT STAN READ WAS
NEGOTIATED WITH BOB
3 ORRILL MANY, MONTHS AGO, LONG BEFORE
I EVEN THOUGHT
4 ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY TODAY.
AND IT SORT OF
5 DESCRIBES SOME OF WHERE I WANTED
TO DISCUSS, SO
6 COULD A TITLE, I MIGHT HAVE PIRATED
IN MODIFIED
7 FORM FROM GEORGE COUNTS, WHO WAS
A COLLEAGUE OF
8 JOHN DEWEY'S IN NEW YORK, AND IF
I'D USE THAT TITLE
9 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, DARE THE COLLEGE,
BUILD A NEW
10 SOCIAL ORDER.
11 ACCORDING TO JOHN DEWEY, LIBERAL
EDUCATION WAS
12 THE SORT OF EDUCATION THAT EVERY
MEMBER OF THE
13 COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE. THE EDUCATION
THAT WILL
14 LIBERATE HIS CAPACITIES AND THEREBY
CONTRIBUTE BOTH
15 TO HIS OWN HAPPINESS AND HIS SOCIAL
USEFULNESS.
16 DEWEY ALWAYS INSISTED THAT LIBERAL
EDUCATION COULD
17 NOT BE GIVEN AN A PRIORI, UNIVERSAL
DEFINITION
18 BECAUSE IT DIDN'T INVOLVE ANY FIXED
SET OF
19 SUBJECTS.
20 ONCE BUT NO LONGER A PRIVILEGE
RESERVED FOR
21 UPPER CLASS GENTLEMEN, LIBERAL
LEARNING FOR DEWEY
22 HAD TO DO WITH MATTERS OF METHOD
AND DIRECTION.
23 REGARDLESS OF SUBJECT MATTER, A
LIBERAL EDUCATION,
24 DEWEY BELIEVED, SHOULD ENDOW ONE,
WITH, QUOTE,
25 HOSPITALITY OF MIND, GENEROUS IMAGINATION,
TRAINED
8
1 CAPACITY OF DISCRIMINATION, FREEDOM
FROM CLASS
2 SECTARIAN AND PARTISAN PREJUDICE
AND PASSION AND
3 FAITH WITHOUT FANATICISM.
4 DESPITE STATEMENTS SUCH AS
THESE, WHICH
5 CLEARLY SET FORTH HIS VISION OF
LIBERAL LEARNING,
6 DEWEY WROTE RELATIVELY LITTLE ABOUT
HIGHER
7 EDUCATION. HE DID THIS BY INTENTION;
BEING
8 CONVINCED THAT THE COLLEGE PROBLEM
IS PRIMARILY NOT
9 A COLLEGE PROBLEM, BUT IS IN WHAT
WE CALL THE
10 GRADES AND THE HIGH SCHOOL. OBVIOUSLY,
THEREFORE,
11 DEWEY SAW THE REFORM OF ELEMENTARY
AND SECONDARY
12 EDUCATION AS A NECESSARY PRECONDITION
TO MORE
13 PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO HIGHER
EDUCATION, AND IT IS
14 IN RELATION TO REFORM AT THOSE
LEVELS THAT HIS
15 IDEAS AND THEIR IMPACT MUST BE
APPRAISED.
16 AS IS WELL KNOWN TO EVERYBODY
HERE, DEWEY'S
17 PHILOSOPHY ENTAILED ACTIVE, PROBLEM-CENTERED
18 LEARNING. IN INTERACTION WITH
ASTUTELY OBSERVANT,
19 HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND AUTONOMOUS
TEACHERS,
20 CHILDREN WERE TO BE HELPED TO EXTEND
THE KNOWLEDGE
21 AND EXPERIENCE THEY BROUGHT TO
SCHOOL BY
22 DISCOVERING AND MASTERING NEW KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
23 RELEVANT TO THE PROJECTS THEY WERE
UNDERTAKING
24 COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEIR CLASSMATES,
PROJECTS
25 RANGING FROM PLANNING AND GROWING
A GARDEN TO
9
1 LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.
2 IN THIS WAY DEWEY BELIEVED
KNOWLEDGE COULD BE
3 PSYCHOLOGIZED; THAT IS, MADE ACCESSIBLE
THROUGH ITS
4 RELATION TO THE INTERESTS OF THE
CHILD. AND
5 LEARNING COULD BE SOCIALIZED, WHICH
MEANT DIRECTED
6 TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING AND BEING
ABLE TO ACT ON THE
7 KINDS OF SOCIAL SITUATIONS THAT
ACTUALLY EXISTED IN
8 THE WORLD.
9 ALTHOUGH MANY OF DEWEY'S EDUCATIONAL
WRITINGS
10 WERE WIDELY CIRCULATED AND HIS
NAME WAS ASSOCIATED
11 WITH A GREAT VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL
REFORMS --
12 WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN HAPPENING THIS
WEEKEND, I MEAN,
13 EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR
THE LAST HUNDRED
14 YEARS WAS BECAUSE OF JOHN DEWEY,
IT SEEMS -- THE
15 LITTLE-KNOWN FACT IS THAT HIS PHILOSOPHY
OF
16 PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION HAD RELATIVELY
SCANT
17 INFLUENCE ON EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE
EXCEPT IN EARLY
18 CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AS LUKE MENAND
POINTED OUT.
19 DEWEY EXPRESSLY DISASSOCIATED
HIMSELF FROM
20 MANY SELF-STYLED PROGRESSIVE INNOVATIONS,
THEREBY
21 INDICATING THAT EVEN IN SCHOOLS
THAT PROFESSED TO
22 BE DEWEYAN, HIS IDEAS HAD BEEN
AT BEST ONLY
23 PARTIALLY UNDERSTOOD AND IMPLEMENTED.
MORE
24 IMPORTANT, DESPITE LOTS OF RHETORIC
ABOUT THE GREAT
25 INFLUENCE OF DEWEY AND TEACHERS
COLLEGE, INCLUDING
10
1 THE KIND OF NEGATIVE COMMENT THAT
RITA QUOTED TO US
2 THE FIRST NIGHT, THE FACT IS THAT
FEW PUBLIC
3 SCHOOLS REALLY TRIED TO INSTITUTIONALIZE
4 PROGRESSIVE IDEAS, AND THOSE THAT
DID TENDED TO DO
5 SO VERY SUPERFICIALLY AND SELECTIVELY.
6 IT SHOULD BE NOTED, TOO, THAT
WHAT INFLUENCE
7 TEACHERS COLLEGE DID EXERCISE ON
PUBLIC SCHOOLING
8 HAD FAR MORE TO DO WITH THE IDEAS
OF EDWARD L.
9 THORNDIKE, THE PSYCHOLOGIST WHOSE
WORK SUPPORTED
10 BUREAUCRATICALLY-ORGANIZED, SUBJECT-CENTERED
FORMS
11 OF SCHOOLING THAN WITH THOSE OF
JOHN DEWEY.
12 THAT DEWEY'S NAME BECAME AN
ICON WIDELY
13 ASSOCIATED WITH EDUCATIONAL REFORM
IS INDISPUTABLE.
14 DESPITE THAT, HOWEVER, THERE IS
LITTLE CONCRETE
15 EVIDENCE THAT DEWEY WAS ABLE TO
CHANGE THE COURSE
16 OF EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND THERE IS A
17 LOT OF EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST HOW
RARE DEWEYAN
18 PRACTICES ARE EVEN TODAY.
19 HOWEVER BRILLIANT DEWEY'S
IDEAS MAY HAVE BEEN,
20 HE WAS NOT A STRATEGIC THINKER,
AND THE IMPACT OF
21 HIS IDEAS ON INSTITUTIONALIZED
EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE
22 WAS UNFORTUNATELY SLIGHT.
23 SADLY, THE SAME POINT CAN
BE MADE ABOUT JANE
24 ADDAMS, WHO WAS NOT ONLY AN UNUSUALLY
HUMANE SOCIAL
25 ACTIVIST, BUT ALSO A BRILLIANT
INTELLECTUAL OF
11
1 DISTINCTLY PRAGMATIC THINKING.
AT HULL HOUSE, THE
2 SETTLEMENT SHE ESTABLISHED WITH
ELLEN GATES STARR
3 IN 1989, ADDAMS PRODUCED A CONTINUOUS
STREAM OF
4 INCISIVE SOCIAL COMMENTARY, AND
MUCH THAT SHE HAD
5 TO SAY PERTAINED TO EDUCATION.
6 BUT EDUCATION SHOULD HAVE
BEEN A CENTRAL THEME
7 IN ADDAMS' WRITINGS REFLECTED THE
PURPOSES SHE
8 BELIEVED ESSENTIAL TO SETTLEMENT
WORK. ADDAMS
9 OFTEN DESCRIBED HULL HOUSE AS AN
ANTIDOTE TO THE
10 COLLEGE. BENT UPON BRINGING, "INTO
THE CIRCLE OF
11 KNOWLEDGE AND FULLER LIFE, MEN
AND WOMEN WHO MIGHT
12 OTHERWISE BE LEFT OUTSIDE,"
HULL HOUSE WAS THE
13 SETTING FOR A WIDE RANGE OF LECTURES
AND
14 DISCUSSIONS ON SCIENCE, POLITICS,
LITERATURE AND
15 ART.
16 ALL THIS WAS VITAL, ADDAMS
BELIEVED, BECAUSE
17 LIKE DEWEY, SHE THOUGHT LIBERAL
LEARNING SHOULD AND
18 COULD BE BOTH ACCESSIBLE TO ALL
PEOPLE AND
19 LIBERATING IN EFFECT. ALWAYS A
REALIST, ADDAMS WAS
20 KEENLY AWARE OF THE PEDAGOGICAL
PROBLEMS INVOLVED
21 IN OFFERING LIBERAL LEARNING IN
WAYS THAT COULD
22 CONNECT WITH THE LARGE GENERAL
INTERESTS OF DIVERSE
23 AUDIENCES.
24 A COURSE OF LECTURES ON ASTRONOMY
WILL ATTRACT
25 A LARGE AUDIENCE THE FIRST WEEK,
SHE ONCE OBSERVED,
12
1 BUT TOO OFTEN THE AUDIENCE, WHICH
COMES HOPING TO
2 HEAR OF THE WONDERS OF THE HEAVENS
AND THE RELATION
3 OF OUR EARTH THERETO IS INSTEAD
TREATED TO SPECTRUM
4 ANALYSIS OF STAR DUST OR THE LATEST
THEORY
5 CONCERNING THE MILKY WAY.
6 ADDAMS ASTUTELY CONCLUDED
FROM THIS THAT THE
7 HABIT OF RESEARCH AND THE DESIRE
TO SAY THE LATEST
8 WORD UPON ANY SUBJECT OFTEN OVERCOMES
A PROFESSOR'S
9 SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING OF AN
AUDIENCE. HAVING
10 SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON MANY OCCASIONS,
ADDAMS
11 SUGGESTED THAT POPULAR LIBERAL
EDUCATION NOW
12 REQUIRE THE MOST DIRECT FORMS OF
EXPRESSION RATHER
13 THAN THE DULL TERMINOLOGY OF THE
CLASSROOM, AS WELL
14 AS A FOCUS ON LARGE AND VITAL SUBJECTS.
15 DESPITE THE EMPHASIS ADDAMS
PLACED ON
16 EDUCATION AS WELL AS ON RESEARCH,
WHICH WAS AN
17 ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY AT SOCIAL SETTLEMENTS
WHICH SHE
18 DESCRIBED AS SOCIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES,
AND DESPITE
19 THE FAME SHE ACHIEVED ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES AND
20 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, SETTLEMENT
WORK, AS SHE
21 PIONEERED IT, DID NOT LONG SURVIVE
HER DEATH IN
22 1935.
23 OFTEN CLAIMED AS A FOUNDER
OF THE SOCIAL WORK
24 PROFESSION, ADDAMS WAS IN FACT
A SOCIOLOGIST IN THE
25 19TH CENTURY SENSE OF SOMEONE WHO
STUDIED SOCIAL
13
1 PROBLEMS IN ORDER BOTH TO UNDERSTAND
AND ACT ON
2 THEM. HER BRILLIANCE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED
BY MANY
3 PEOPLE, AND YET NEW STYLES OF RESEARCH
INCREASINGLY
4 RENDERED OBSOLETE THE SYNTHESIS
ADDAMS SOUGHT
5 BETWEEN THEORY AND ACTION, STUDY
AND DISCUSSION.
6 AS A RESULT OF THIS, SETTLEMENTS
LIKE HULL
7 HOUSE INCREASINGLY BECAME SETTINGS
IN WHICH
8 UNIVERSITY-BASED, USUALLY MALE
SOCIOLOGISTS MIGHT
9 COLLECT DATA, BUT THEY NO LONGER
SERVED AS PRIMARY
10 CENTERS FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH. INCREASINGLY,
TOO, AS
11 SOCIAL WORK BECAME A PROFESSION,
SETTLEMENTS BECAME
12 CENTERS FOR CHARITY OR WELFARE
ADMINISTRATION AND
13 NOT FOR THE DISCUSSION AND DEBATE
ABOUT THE SOURCES
14 OF COMMON SOCIAL PROBLEMS, WHICH
FOR ADDAMS WAS
15 WHAT LIBERAL LEARNING WAS ALL ABOUT.
16 HULL HOUSE STILL STANDS, BUT
SETTLEMENT WORK,
17 AS DEFINED BY JANE ADDAMS, HAS
GENERALLY BEEN
18 SUPERCEDED. LIKE DEWEY, ADDAMS
IS AN ICON TO
19 PRACTICES SHE DID NOT SUPPORT,
AND THOUGH HER IDEAS
20 ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR STUDY,
THEIR INFLUENCE IN
21 THE DOMAINS OF STUDY AND PRACTICE
SHE STRADDLED,
22 SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL WORK AND EDUCATION
MOST IMPORTANT
23 AMONG THEM, HAS IN THE END BEEN
REMARKABLY SLIGHT.
24 AS DEWEY AND ADDAMS WERE BOTH
AWARE, THEY WERE
25 LIVING AT A TIME WHEN KNOWLEDGE
WAS INCREASING AT
14
1 AN ENORMOUS RATE AND BECOMING MORE
AND MORE
2 SPECIALIZED, AND IN CONSIDERABLE
MEASURE, IT WAS
3 SPECIALIZATION, THOSE NARROW ACADEMIC
CLOSETS, THAT
4 LIMITED THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION
OF THEIR IDEAS.
5 IN DEWEY'S CASE, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE EMERGENCE OF
6 A PROFESSIONAL CADRE OF EDUCATION
RESEARCHERS BENT
7 UPON DEVELOPING A PROFESSIONALIZED
SCIENCE OF
8 EDUCATION HELPED TO UNDERMINE THE
COLLABORATIVE
9 PRACTICE-BASED APPROACH TO EDUCATIONAL
STUDY THAT
10 WAS ESSENTIAL TO DEWEY'S UNDERSTANDING
OF
11 PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION.
12 DESPITE COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
CONCERNING
13 DEWEY'S ADVOCACY OF CHILD-CENTERED
EDUCATION,
14 EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS FREELY INTERACTING
ON AN
15 EQUAL BASIS WITH UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS
WERE
16 INDISPENSABLE IN DEWEY'S FORMULATION
OF PROGRESSIVE
17 EDUCATION.
18 AS PROFESSIONALIZATION ADVANCED,
HOWEVER,
19 CROSS-ROLE, CROSS-FIELD STUDY AND
DISCUSSION OF THE
20 KIND DEWEY ADVOCATED BECAME MORE
AND MORE
21 DIFFICULT. SCHOLARS OF EDUCATION
WITHIN UNIVERSITY
22 SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION,
WHICH WERE
23 JUST BEING FOUNDED AT THE TURN
OF THE CENTURY,
24 BELIEVED THEY COULD FORMULATE LAWS
OF LEARNING THAT
25 WOULD HAVE UNIVERSAL APPLICATION
ACROSS SCHOOL
15
1 SETTINGS.
2 FITTING WELL WITH MODELS OF
SCHOLARSHIP THEN
3 DEVELOPING ACROSS THE RANGE OF
UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS
4 AND DEPARTMENTS, THOSE BELIEFS
ABOUT EDUCATIONAL
5 SCHOLARSHIP MADE DEWEY'S VIEWS
SEEM ROMANTIC AND
6 PRESCIENTIFIC. EDWARD L. THORNDIKE
SUGGESTED THIS
7 WHEN HE RATHER CAUSTICALLY OBSERVED
THAT, QUOTE,
8 WHAT PHYSICAL SCIENCE HAS TO DO
WITH THE
9 COSMOLOGIES OF THE EARLY PHILOSOPHERS,
THE SCIENCE
10 OF EDUCATION HAS TO DO WITH THE
GENERALIZATIONS OF
11 HERBERT, SPENCER AND DEWEY.
12 AS I HAVE ALREADY SUGGESTED,
ADDAMS'
13 CONCEPTION OF THE SOCIAL SETTLEMENT
ALSO FELL
14 VICTIM TO THE TREND TOWARDS SPECIALIZATION
THAT
15 MADE THE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY HOME
TO AN EVER
16 MULTIPLYING ARRAY OF PROFESSIONAL
FIELDS AND
17 DISCIPLINES. ADVANCING PROFESSIONALIZATION
18 FOSTERED MORE AND MORE RIGID DIVISIONS
BETWEEN THE
19 DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF
KNOWLEDGE.
20 THOSE WERE COMPOUNDED BY GENDERED
ASSUMPTIONS
21 CONCERNING MALE INCLINATIONS TO
BE INVENTIVE AND
22 FEMALE INCLINATIONS TO BE INTUITIVE,
MALLEABLE AND
23 ALWAYS DISPOSED TO NURTURE AND
CARE. SUCH BELIEFS
24 EASILY SUPPORTED EXPECTATIONS THAT
MEN WERE
25 GENERATING KNOWLEDGE, AND WOMEN
WOULD APPLY IT.
16
1 OWING TO ALL THIS, AS UNIVERSITIES
CAME TO
2 HOLD THE VIRTUAL MONOPOLIES ON
KNOWLEDGE CREATION,
3 SOCIAL SETTLEMENTS WERE REDEFINED.
NO LONGER
4 REGARDED AS SOCIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES,
THEY BECAME
5 PLACES OF CHARITY TO WHICH SCHOLARS
MIGHT GO TO
6 DOCUMENT THE PROBLEMS OF THE POOR,
THE DEVIANT AND
7 THE NEWLY ARRIVED.
8 CLOSELY RELATED TO SPECIALIZATION
9 PROFESSIONALIZATION AND DISCIPLINE
FORMATION, THE
10 EMPHASIS ON EXPERTISE THAT WAS
SO ESSENTIAL TO THE
11 RISE OF THE UNIVERSITY WAS YET
ANOTHER FACTOR IN
12 THE MARGINALIZATION OF APPROACHES
TO EDUCATION THAT
13 WERE COMPATIBLE WITH DEWEY AND
ADDAMS' PRAGMATIC
14 ORIENTATION.
15 THIS EMPHASIS ON EXPERTISE
REVEALS AN
16 IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE IN BELIEF
BETWEEN GENUINELY
17 POPULIST PROGRESSIVES LIKE DEWEY
AND ADDAMS, ON THE
18 ONE HAND, AND MANY OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES
ON THE
19 OTHER. BOTH WERE HISTORIANS CALLED
MUGWUMP TYPES,
20 LIKE HARVARD PRESIDENT CHARLES
W. ELIOT, AND
21 YOUNGER PROGRESSIVES OF TECHNOCRATIC
PERSUATION
22 LIKE WALTER LIPPMANN.
23 VIA HIS CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE
ELECTIVE SYSTEM AS
24 WELL AS HIS PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT
GOVERNMENT, THE
25 PROFESSIONS, EDUCATION AND MUCH
ELSE, CHARLES ELIOT
17
1 DID A GREAT DEAL TO POPULARIZE
BELIEF IN THE NOTION
2 THAT LEADERSHIP IN A MODERN SOCIETY
SHOULD REQUIRE,
3 ALONG WITH THE TESTED SENSE OF
CHARACTER, HIGH
4 LEVELS OF UNUSUAL KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILL.
5 CENTRAL AMONG THE MANY DIFFERENT
REASONS THAT
6 PROMPTED HIM TO CHAMPION COURSE
ELECTION AT HARVARD
7 WAS THE PROSPECT THAT ELECTION
WOULD ALLOW STUDENTS
8 TO DEVELOP THEIR PARTICULAR TALENTS
TO HIGHER
9 LEVELS AND AT YOUNGER AGES THAN
WOULD BE POSSIBLE
10 IF THEY WERE REQUIRED FIRST TO
MASTER A BROAD
11 SPECTRUM OF KNOWLEDGE. ARGUING
THAT THE PUBLIC
12 SCHOOLS SHOULD FOSTER A WILLINGNESS
TO DEFER TO
13 EXPERTS IN ALL THEIR STUDENTS,
ELIOT MAINTAINED
14 THAT COLLEGES SHOULD BE INSTITUTIONS
THROUGH WHICH
15 THE MOST ABLE WOULD BECOME THE
BEST TRAINED AND
16 RISE TO POSITIONS OF POWER, WEALTH,
RESPONSIBILITY
17 AND FAME.
18 MORE THAN IS OFTEN REMEMBERED
TODAY, THOUGH, I
19 THINK PEOPLE HERE ARE AWARE OF
IT, ELIOT'S VIEWS
20 WERE UNUSUALLY IMPORTANT IN THE
EARLY PART OF THE
21 20TH CENTURY. THIS WAS PARTLY
BECAUSE ELIOT
22 PURPOSEFULLY AND VERY SKILLFULLY
TURNED HIMSELF
23 INTO A SCHOOLMASTER TO THE NATION.
BEYOND THAT, HE
24 WAS AS STRATEGIC A THINKER AS JOHN
DEWEY WAS NOT,
25 AND HE MADE IT HIS BUSINESS AS
PRESIDENT OF HARVARD
18
1 TO DOMINATE ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS
THAT COULD HAVE
2 AN IMPACT ON REFORM -- ON THE REFORMS
HE FAVORED --
3 ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS BEING
THE CARNEGIE
4 FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF TEACHING, WHICH
5 THROUGH REPORTS LIKE THE FLEXNER
REPORT ON MEDICAL
6 EDUCATION TRULY BECAME WHAT ITS
FIRST PRESIDENT BUT
7 NOT ITS PRESIDENT ELECT CALLED,
QUOTE, THE GREAT
8 AGENCY IN STANDARDIZING AMERICAN
EDUCATION.
9 LIKE MANY OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES,
DEWEY AND
10 ADDAMS UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF
RAISING STANDARDS
11 FOR EDUCATION AND NURTURING EXPERTISE.
HOWEVER,
12 THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED THAN PEOPLE
LIKE ELIOT
13 WITH FINDING WAYS DELIBERATELY
TO FOSTER EQUAL
14 RELATIONS BETWEEN AND AMONG DIFFERENT
PEOPLE.
15 FINDING NEW WAYS NOT MERELY TO
ALLOW BUT POSITIVELY
16 TO PROMOTE FREE COMMUNICATION AND
UNIVERSAL
17 PARTICIPATION IN THE DEFINITION
OF COMMON GOALS AND
18 POLICIES WAS A CONCERN OF DEWEY
AND ADDAMS THAT
19 ELIOT SIMPLY DID NOT SHARE.
20 NEITHER DID YOUNGER PROGRESSIVES
OF
21 TECHNOCRATIC PERSUATION. OFTEN
SITUATED IN
22 RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE
BROOKINGS
23 INSTITUTION AND THE NATIONAL BUREAU
OF ECONOMIC
24 RESEARCH, THESE YOUNGER PROGRESSIVES
WORRIED THAT
25 ORDINARY PEOPLE COULD NOT COMPREHEND
PUBLIC
19
1 PROBLEMS AND EVENTS, AND THEY WERE
EAGER TO PROVIDE
2 A CORRECTIVE FOR THIS THROUGH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF
3 DISINTERESTED EXPERTISE.
4 SUCH THINKERS RARELY, IF EVER,
PICKED UP ON
5 DEWEY AND ADDAMS' DEEP-SEATED BELIEF
THAT THE MOST
6 IMPORTANT CHALLENGES FOR AMERICAN
SOCIETY INVOLVED
7 GOING BEYOND THE DISSEMINATION
OF EXPERTISE TO
8 IDENTIFY MORE EFFECTIVE MEANS OF
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
9 A CONSTANT THING IN ADDAMS'
WRITING THIS POINT
10 WAS ALSO FORCEFULLY EXPRESSED IN
A REVIEW DEWEY
11 WROTE OF WALTER LIPPMANN'S PUBLIC
OPINION. HAVING
12 ASSOCIATED HIMSELF WITH LIPPMANN'S
BELIEF THAT
13 FINDING WAYS TO CAPTURE AND COMMUNICATE
PUBLIC
14 EVENTS AND ISSUES WAS COMING TO
BE THE PROBLEM OF
15 DEMOCRACY, DEWEY CONCLUDED, NONETHELESS,
THAT
16 LIPPMANN HAD REACHED THE WRONG
SOLUTION.
17 THE EDUCATION OF EXPERTS WHO
COULD THEN INFORM
18 AND LEAD THE PUBLIC WAS NOT SUFFICIENT,
DEWEY
19 INSISTED. DEMOCRACY DEMANDS A
MORE THOROUGHGOING
20 EDUCATION THAN THE EDUCATION OF
OFFICIALS,
21 ADMINISTRATORS AND DIRECTORS OF
INDUSTRY, HE SAID.
22 UNFORTUNATELY, DEWEY'S CRITICISM
OF LIPPMANN
23 DID NOT PROCEED TO A FULL ELABORATION
OF HOW HE
24 THOUGHT ONE COULD MOVE TOWARD WHAT
HE CALLED
25 FUNDAMENTAL GENERAL EDUCATION.
AND THAT
20
1 SHORTCOMING, WHICH WAS NOT FULLY
CORRECTED IN ANY
2 OF DEWEY'S WRITINGS, HAS LIMITED
POSSIBILITIES FOR
3 EXTENDING, BUILDING FROM AND TESTING
HIS VISION IN
4 ACTUAL SOCIAL EXPERIMENTS.
5 DESPITE THAT, DEWEY'S CRITICISM
OF LIPPMANN
6 DID SUGGEST THE DEGREE TO WHICH
A FOCUS ON
7 PROMOTING HIGH LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE,
APART FROM AN
8 EQUAL FOCUS ON INVENTING WAYS TO
UNIVERSALIZE THE
9 CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND, APPRECIATE,
AND CRITICIZE
10 SUCH KNOWLEDGE, COULD LEAD AND
INDEED HAS LED TO
11 PROFOUND POLITICAL INEQUALITIES.
12 BECAUSE LIPPMANN'S POLITICAL
VALUES LIKE THOSE
13 HELD BY CHARLES ELIOT WERE LESS
RADICALLY
14 DEMOCRATIC THAN THOSE HELD BY DEWEY
AND ADDAMS, HE
15 DIDN'T WORRY, AS THEY DID, THAT
LIBERAL EDUCATION
16 REMAIN AN EXCLUSIVE, ELITE PRESERVE
RATHER THE THE
17 COMMON, EVEN UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE
DEWEY AND ADDAMS
18 WISHED IT TO BE.
19 IN A SOCIETY OF EXPERT GOVERNANCE,
SUCH AS
20 THAT IMAGINED BY LIPPMANN AND A
LITTLE DIFFERENTLY
21 BY ELIOT, IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT
TO PROMOTE
22 SPECIALIZATION AND COURSE ELECTION
THAN OPEN
23 COMMUNICATION AND COMMON LEARNING.
24 OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE MANY
FORCES IN ADDITION
25 TO INCREASING SPECIALIZATION AND
GROWING BELIEF IN
21
1 AS WELL AS DEFERENCE TO EXPERTISE
THAT WERE
2 INVOLVED IN THE TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY
TRANSFORMATION
3 OF AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND MANY OF THOSE
4 WERE ALSO IMPORTANT IN LIMITING
THE
5 INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF DEWEY AND
ADDAMS' IDEAS.
6 BUT EVEN LEAVING THOSE ASIDE HERE,
BECAUSE THESE
7 TALKS GO ON TOO LONG IF YOU PUT
EVERYTHING IN, AND
8 SKIPPING OVER IMPORTANT SUBSEQUENT
DEVELOPMENTS,
9 THE POINT I HOPE IS CLEAR.
10 AS A RESULT OF TRENDS SET
IN MOTION AT THE
11 TURN OF THE CENTURY, THE VISION
OF PRAGMATIC
12 LIBERAL EDUCATION ONE CAN DISCERN
IN DEWEY AND
13 ADDAMS' WRITINGS DID NOT GAIN WIDE
ASSENT. EVEN IF
14 PARTS OF THAT VISION WERE INCORPORATED
WITHIN THE
15 PROGRESSIVE COLLEGES, IT REMAINED
AN ALTERNATIVE
16 FUNDAMENTALLY AT ODDS WITH THE
CENTRAL TENDENCIES
17 OF U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION.
18 THIS IS IN PART WHAT TOM EHRLICH
WAS SAYING
19 THE OTHER DAY, I THINK. THE QUESTION,
THEN, IS
20 DOES THAT MATTER IN 1997; AND IF
IT DOES, WHAT'S TO
21 BE DONE? THE HISTORIC MARGINALIZATION
OF PRAGMATIC
22 APPROACHES TO LIBERAL EDUCATION
DOES MATTER, I
23 THINK, BECAUSE THE VALUES AND PRIORITIES
IMPLICIT
24 IN SUCH APPROACHES HAVE BEEN SHORT-CHANGED
IN FAVOR
25 OF OTHER ALSO IMPORTANT VALUES
AND PRIORITIES. IN
22
1 CONSEQUENCE, THE MODERN U.S. SYSTEM
OF HIGHER
2 EDUCATION RESTS ON A NUMBER OF
DIFFICULT AND IN THE
3 LONG RUN DANGEROUS DILEMMAS THAT
ARE A RESULT OF
4 IMBALANCES IN VALUES AND PRIORITIES.
5 BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, CONSIDER
JUST TWO. AS
6 HISTORIAN THOMAS HASKELL HAS RECENTLY
ARGUED IN A
7 WONDERFUL BOOK ABOUT ACADEMIC FREEDOM
THAT LUKE
8 MENAND EDITED, STRONG DISCIPLINES
ARE NECESSARY TO
9 THE PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY AND COLLEGIAL
10 SELF-GOVERNANCE THAT IS THE HEART
AND SOUL OF
11 ACADEMIC FREEDOM.
12 THE CONTINUOUS CRITICISM GENERATED
THROUGH
13 INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY REVIEWS AND
PEER EVALUATION
14 HELPS JUSTIFY THE FREEDOM FROM
EXTERNAL REGULATION
15 AND OVERSIGHT THAT ACADEMIC FREEDOM
BRINGS.
16 VALUABLE IN MAINTAINING THE CONDITIONS
NECESSARY TO
17 FREE AND CRITICAL INQUIRY, DISCIPLINES
CAN,
18 NEVERTHELESS, MAKE IT DIFFICULT
TO ADDRESS THE
19 PROBLEMS THAT EXIST IN THE WORLD
OUTSIDE THE
20 ACADEMY. PROBLEMS OF HEALTH, POVERTY
OR ARTS
21 SUPPORT RARELY PARSE THEMSELVES
ALONG NEATLY DRAWN
22 DISCIPLINARY LINES. IF THAT MIGHT
SUGGEST THE
23 VALUE OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TRAINING
OR A TEAM
24 APPROACH, ACTUAL EXPERIENCE WITH
SUCH REMEDIES
25 TENDS TO INDICATE THAT DISCIPLINARY
KNOWLEDGE IS
23
1 ITSELF NOW TOO SPECIALIZED AND
DISCIPLINARY
2 THINKING TOO WELL INGRAINED TO
BE EASILY
3 SUSCEPTIBLE TO CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
VENTURES.
4 FOR THE MOMENT, THEREFORE,
WE LIVE WITH A
5 DILEMMA. IF WE WANT TO MAINTAIN
ACADEMIC FREEDOM,
6 WHICH HAS PROVEN VALUE TO CREATIVE
TEACHING AND
7 RESEARCH, WE NEED DISCIPLINES TO
GUARANTEE
8 STANDARDS AND RIGOR. AND YET,
IF WE BIND OURSELVES
9 TO THE DISTINCTIVE QUESTIONS AND
LOGICS OF THE
10 VARIOUS DISCIPLINES, WE MAY NOT
BE ABLE TO ADDRESS
11 THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX PROBLEMS AS
12 EFFECTIVELY AS WE WOULD LIKE TO
DO.
13 THOUGH ON THE UPSIDE, DISCIPLINES
FOSTER
14 INTENSE CRITICAL INTERACTION WITHIN
A COMMUNITY OF
15 SCHOLARS, DISCIPLINARY THINKING
CAN MAKE IT
16 DIFFICULT TO GENERATE SURE LINKS
BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE
17 AND REFORM.
18 ANOTHER CURRENT DILEMMA WITH
19 TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY ORIGINS HAS
TO DO WITH
20 EXPERTISE. WHO COULD SAY THEY
WERE AGAINST
21 EXPERTISE? AND YET, WHO COULD
NOT SHARE DEWEY AND
22 ADDAMS' CONCERN THAT IN A DEMOCRACY,
EXPERTISE MUST
23 BE COMBINED WITH COMMON ACCESS
TO KNOWLEDGE? THIS
24 WAS WHAT JOHN GARDNER WAS WORRIED
ABOUT, I THINK,
25 WHEN HE SUBTITLED HIS BOOK CALLED
EXCELLENCE WITH
24
1 THE CLASSIC QUESTION: CAN WE BE
EXCELLENT AND
2 EQUAL, TOO?
3 WHETHER THAT DILEMMA COULD
EVER BE RESOLVED,
4 AT THE MOMENT WE KNOW MUCH MORE
ABOUT HOW TO
5 CULTIVATE EXPERTISE THAN WE DO
ABOUT HOW EVEN TO
6 CONCEIVE OF PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC
EDUCATION IN THE
7 BROAD, NOT SCHOOL LIMITED, SENSE
DEWEY OFTEN WROTE
8 ABOUT.
9 ONCE AGAIN, THEREFORE, WE
LIVE WITH AN
10 IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE. THIS ONE PERTAINING
TO THE
11 POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF EDUCATION.
SHOULD WE
12 ACKNOWLEDGE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
EDUCATION BY
13 EXPLICITLY COUNTENANCING DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF
14 POLITICAL ENFRANCHISEMENT; OR REGARDLESS
OF
15 EDUCATION SHOULD WE INSTEAD FIND
WAYS TO INSIST ON
16 ABSOLUTE EQUALITY IN MATTERS OF
PUBLIC DELIBERATION
17 OR CHOICE? NEITHER ALTERNATIVE
IS DESIRABLE, BUT
18 IT IS WITH THIS SORRY CHOICE THAT
OUR CURRENT STATE
19 OF EDUCATIONAL CONFIDENCE AND POLITICAL
IMAGINATION
20 LEAVES US.
21 WHAT THEN MIGHT WE DO? THE
CHALLENGES
22 IMPLICIT IN THE TWO DILEMMAS I
HAVE DESCRIBED ARE
23 HARDLY UNKNOWN, AND YET LITTLE
THAT IS ENDURINGLY
24 AND WIDELY EFFECTIVE SEEMS TO HAVE
BEEN DONE TO
25 ADDRESS THEM. PERHAPS, THEREFORE,
WE NEED MORE
25
1 HISTORICALLY SELF-CONSCIOUS WAYS
OF THINKING ABOUT
2 THE PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES
WE FACE. BECAUSE
3 THE SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY EMERGED
FROM THE
4 TURN-OF-THE CENTURY TRANSFORMATION
OF HIGHER
5 EDUCATION, WE MAY NEED TO RETURN
TO THE CHOICES
6 MADE AND PATTERNS SET AT THAT TIME
IN ORDER TO
7 IDENTIFY WAYS TO ADDRESS THE IMBALANCES
AND
8 RESULTING DILEMMAS THAT ARE A LEGACY
OF THAT ERA.
9 THIS WOULD INVOLVE TAKING
UP WHERE DEWEY,
10 ADDAMS AND OTHERS OF THEIR ILK
LEFT OFF AND
11 THINKING THROUGH QUESTIONS THEY
NEVER ADDRESSED OR
12 PERHAPS EVEN FORMULATED. CENTRAL
AMONG THEM, I
13 BELIEVE, ARE QUESTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY
VERY MUCH OF
14 THE KIND PETER LYMANN WAS TALKING
ABOUT YESTERDAY,
15 AND ALSO QUESTIONS OF STRATEGY
AND PHILOSOPHY,
16 THOUGH MAYBE I SHOULD CALL THE
LAST POLITICS.
17 THE QUESTIONS OF TECHNOLOGY
I HAVE IN MIND, AS
18 PETER SUGGESTED, MAY SOME DAY,
I DON'T BELIEVE
19 QUITE YET, BUT SOME DAY, BE ANSWERED
BY THE
20 INTERNET. THEY HAVE TO DO WITH
INVENTING NEW WAYS
21 FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN TO COMMUNICATE
WELL ACROSS
22 SOCIAL DISTANCE SO THAT TOGETHER
THEY CAN REACH
23 COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND GENERATE
KNOWLEDGE THAT
24 MAY HELP TO RESOLVE COMMON PROBLEMS.
25 WHILE SUSTAINING AND IMPROVING
THE DELIVERY
26
1 SYSTEMS WE ALREADY HAVE FOR UNCOMMON
LEARNING FOR
2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERTISE, WE
NEED ALSO TO
3 INVENT NEW DELIVERY SYSTEMS THAT
WILL PROMOTE
4 ENGAGEMENT IN COMMON LEARNING.
WHETHER THOSE
5 DELIVERY SYSTEMS TAKE THE FORM
OF NEW WAYS TO
6 ORGANIZE COLLEGE STUDY, NEW FUNDING
FOR LIBRARY
7 OUTREACH OR NEW CORPORATE PERSONNEL
SERVICES, THE
8 GOAL MUST BE TO BALANCE OUR ESTABLISHED
CAPACITY TO
9 TRAIN PEOPLE FOR HIGHLY SKILLED
OCCUPATIONS WITH A
10 NEW CAPACITY TO NURTURE CRITICAL
AND YET
11 COLLABORATIVE DISPOSITIONS AND
HABITS OF MIND.
12 AS WE ALL KNOW FROM THE CONVERSATIONS
WE'VE
13 BEEN HAVING, THIS IS ALREADY THE
STATED GOAL OF
14 MANY INSTITUTIONS, BUT THIS BALANCE
MUST NOW
15 ACTUALLY BE REALIZED IN THE EXPERIENCE
OF MORE
16 PEOPLE; AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN,
WAYS WILL HAVE TO
17 BE IDENTIFIED TO ASK BOLD QUESTIONS
OF TECHNOLOGY
18 AND INSTITUTIONAL REDESIGN, NOT
MERELY AT WONDERFUL
19 CONFERENCES LIKE THIS, BUT IN A
DETERMINED AND
20 SUSTAINED DAILY WAY.
21 CLOSELY RELATED TO THAT, EFFORTS
TO CORRECT
22 HISTORIC IMBALANCES IN AMERICAN
HIGHER EDUCATION
23 WILL REQUIRE ATTENTION TO QUESTIONS
OF STRATEGY.
24 IT IS ALL WELL AND GOOD TO SUGGEST
THAT COMMON
25 LEARNING MUST ASSUME A PRIORITY
EQUAL TO UNCOMMON
27
1 LEARNING, BUT THE FACT IS THAT
WE LIVE IN A WORLD
2 FULL OF HIERARCHIES THAT ARE BUILT
ON CREDENTIALS
3 AND STANDARDS, MOST OF WHICH REFLECT
CHOICES AND
4 VALUES THAT ENCOURAGE EXCELLENCE
AT THE EXPENSE OF
5 EQUALITY.
6 IN ADDITION, WE LIVE IN A
WORLD WHERE IT IS
7 IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE HIGHER
EDUCATION SYSTEM
8 FROM BUSINESS, THE PROFESSIONS,
THE MILITARY, THE
9 GOVERNMENT AND ANY NUMBER OF OTHER
SYSTEMS. THAT
10 MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO INITIATE
FUNDAMENTAL
11 SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
12 IF IT IS AS DIFFICULT TO CHANGE
A COLLEGE
13 CURRICULUM AS IT IS, WHICH WE HAVE
HEARD ABOUT,
14 WHICH RELATIVE TO CHANGING THE
BALANCE AMONG THE
15 PURPOSES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IS
BARELY TINKERING AT
16 THE MARGINS, IT IS HARD EVEN TO
IMAGINE HOW ONE
17 MIGHT GO ABOUT THE KIND OF TRULY
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE
18 THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY IF LIBERAL
EDUCATION WERE
19 TO BE RECONCEIVED AS A MEANS TO
PROMOTE
20 PROBLEM-CENTERED WAYS OF THINKING
AND TO BETTER
21 COMBINE THOSE WITH DISCIPLINE-BASED
STYLES OF
22 THOUGHT.
23 IN RECENT YEARS, ANY NUMBER
OF SCHOLARS HAVE
24 TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO THE REFORM
OF
25 UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, AND SOME
HAVE ADVANCED
28
1 PLANS THAT BUILD ON IDEAS OF EARLIER
ADVOCATES OF
2 PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO LIBERAL
EDUCATION. I THINK
3 CHARLES ANDERSON HAS DONE THIS
PERHAPS BETTER THAN
4 ANYBODY ELSE. IN ADDITION, THERE
HAVE BEEN SOME
5 EXTREMELY INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
WITH CURRICULA.
6 WE HEARD ABOUT AT LEHIGH, AND THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF
7 PLACES THAT I THINK ECHO WHAT WE
HEARD THERE.
8 THINKING STRATEGICALLY THE
QUESTION IS, THEN,
9 ASSUMING THERE IS VALUE IN SUCH
PROBLEM-CENTERED,
10 PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO LIBERAL
LEARNING, HOW CAN
11 DISCRETE, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT AND
YET ESSENTIALLY
12 COMPATIBLE PROPOSALS BE SYNTHESIZED
AND PUT TO THE
13 TEST; AND WHEN THEY ARE PUT TO
THE TEST, HOW COULD
14 THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE SYNTHESIZED
IDEAS BE
15 CONSIDERED NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF
THE DIRECT
16 EFFECTIVENESS, BUT ALSO IN TERMS
OF THEIR
17 IMPLICATIONS FOR CHANGES THAT NEED
TO BE MADE IN
18 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, BUSINESS
PRACTICES,
19 GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND THE
LIKE?
20 WHETHER THAT CAN EVER BE DONE,
QUESTIONS OF
21 STRATEGY AND OF TECHNOLOGY WILL
NEED TO BE COMBINED
22 WITH QUESTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY OR
POLITICS, IF THE
23 DILEMMAS FACING AMERICAN HIGHER
EDUCATION ARE TO
24 RECEIVE NOT ONLY THE PERSISTENT,
BUT ALSO THE
25 HONEST AND EVEN SOUL-SEARCHING
ATTENTION THAT THEY
29
1 REQUIRE.
2 AND INTERESTINGLY, THOUGH,
TROY DUSTER WAS
3 REALLY TALKING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS
LAST NIGHT,
4 AND THEY HAVE COME UP MUCH LESS
THAN SOME OF THE
5 OTHER KINDS OF QUESTIONS, I THINK,
THAT WE NEED TO
6 CONSIDER. DO WE REALLY WANT TO
SEE OURSELVES AND
7 TO BE SEEN AS EQUAL TO OUR NEIGHBORS?
JOHN DEWEY
8 AND JANE ADDAMS TENDED TO ASSUME,
OR AT LEAST THEY
9 HOPED, AS I THINK WE HOPE WHEN
WE SAY WE'RE ALL
10 LIBERAL, THAT WE DO WANT TO BE
EQUAL. BUT IN 1997,
11 IT IS NOT SELF-EVIDENT THAT SUCH
ASSUMPTIONS ARE
12 VALID OR AT LEAST WIDELY VALID.
13 DO WE REALLY WANT TO EDUCATE
ALL YOUNG PEOPLE
14 TO BE FULLY AND EQUALLY ENFRANCHISED
CITIZENS, OR
15 IN THE END, DO WE WANT TO SORT
THEM AND TRAIN THEM
16 FOR THE JOBS AND SOCIAL ROLES THAT
ALREADY EXIST IN
17 THE WORLD TODAY?
18 DO WE REALLY WANT TO LIBERATE,
WITH ALL THAT
19 COULD SUGGEST, FOR INDEPENDENT
THOUGHT AND EVEN
20 SOCIAL CHANGE; OR DO WE MERELY
WANT TO FURNISH AND
21 DISCIPLINE YOUNG MINDS WHICH, AS
LUKE MENAND
22 REMINDED US SEVERAL DAYS AGO, IS
IN SOME WAYS AN
23 EQUIVALENT, A 19TH CENTURY EQUIVALENT
TO WHAT WE
24 NOW CALL TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING?
DO WE REALLY
25 WANT TO WORK ON PROBLEMS OF POVERTY;
OR ARE WE
30
1 CONTENT MERELY TO STUDY THEM?
2 NOW USUALLY SET OFF IN COURSES
ON ETHICS OR IN
3 PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS OF RELIGIOUS
AND POLITICAL
4 BELIEFS, PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS
OF THIS KIND NEED
5 TO BE REINTRODUCED INTO THE CORE
OF SCIENTIFIC AND
6 SOCIAL STUDIES.
7 AND THAT BRINGS ME FULL CIRCLE,
FINALLY. THE
8 MODERN AMERICAN SYSTEM OF HIGHER
EDUCATION IS
9 INDISPUTABLY, I THINK, THE PREEMINENT
SYSTEM IN THE
10 WORLD WHICH SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED
AND SHOULD BE
11 CELEBRATED. AND YET WHILE WE DO
THAT, IT OBVIOUSLY
12 MAKES SENSE ALSO TO PONDER HOW
AMERICAN HIGHER
13 EDUCATION MIGHT STILL BE FURTHER
IMPROVED.
14 KNOWING HOW TO DEVELOP HIGH
LEVELS OF
15 KNOWLEDGE AND HOW TO ENHANCE THE
COMPETENCE OF THE
16 ALREADY COMPETENT IS NOT THE SAME
AS KNOWING HOW TO
17 DEVELOP AND TEST KNOWLEDGE IN RELATION
TO THE
18 PROBLEMS OF MEETING AND SOCIAL
CONNECTION THAT
19 CONFRONT US TODAY.
20 FINDING WAYS TO DO THAT WILL
REQUIRE
21 CONTINUING CONSIDERATION OF HOW
THE POSSIBILITIES
22 FOR DEMOCRACY AND COMMON LEARNING
GLIMPSED BY
23 PROGRESSIVES LIKE DEWEY AND ADDAMS,
AND FIGURING
24 OUT HOW THOSE IDEAS CAN BE RECOVERED
AND COMBINED
25 WITH THE BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
ADVOCATED BY PEOPLE
31
1 LIKE ELIOT AND LIPPMANN.
2 TO ADVANCE PRAGMATIC APPROACHES
TO LIBERAL
3 EDUCATION, MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE
TO ENGAGE IN
4 PRAGMATIC LIBERAL EDUCATION, AS
PERHAPS WE'RE DOING
5 THIS WEEKEND. THROUGH EXCHANGES
OF KNOWLEDGE AND
6 EXPERIENCE, THEY WILL HAVE TO BUILD
NEW PLANS OF
7 ACTION THAT CAN BE TESTED AND REFINED
IN THE LIVED
8 PURPOSES AND PRACTICES OF COLLEGES,
UNIVERSITIES,
9 AND THE SURROUNDING INSTITUTIONS
WITH WHICH THEY
10 INTERACT.
11 IF WAYS CAN BE FOUND TO COLLABORATE
FOR THAT
12 PURPOSE, PERHAPS WE WILL HAVE FINALLY
ENLARGED THE
13 NARROW ACADEMIC CLOSETS THAT DEWEY
AND ADDAMS
14 DIDN'T GO INTO.
15 (Applaud)
16 MR. STANLEY KATZ: IT'S MOST
GRATIFYING TO
17 HEAR A SPEAKER NAIL A DILEMMA THAT
YOU IMPALE
18 YOURSELF ON YOUR OWN PAPER, AND
I'M GRATEFUL TO HER
19 FOR DOING THAT.
20 THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES
KLOPPENBERG. I'M
21 HAVING TO SAY I'M FALLING INTO
THE DILEMMA THAT
22 ELLEN JUST POINTED OUT BECAUSE
I FIND MYSELF FILLED
23 WITH PRIDE THAT WE HAVE THREE HISTORIANS
UP HERE,
24 AND I CONFESS TO THINKING THAT
HISTORY IS A
25 UNIQUELY PRIVILEGED WAY OF THINKING
ABOUT THE
32
1 WORLD, BUT I WILL FIGHT THAT.
2 (Laughter)
3 JIM WAS TRAINED FIRST AT STANFORD
WHERE HE
4 WORKED IN HISTORY AND IN HUMANITIES,
A JOINT
5 PROGRAM, AND HE SEEMS, ALTHOUGH
IT'S NOT CLEAR FROM
6 THE RESUME', TO ALSO HAVE WORKED
IN FOREIGN
7 LANGUAGES BECAUSE HE BEGAN HIS
CAREER TEACHING
8 FRENCH LANGUAGE AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.
BUT HE
9 SHORTLY MOVED TO BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
WHERE HE IS A
10 PROFESSOR IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT,
AND HE HAS
11 BEEN THERE NOW FOR SOME YEARS.
HE WENT THERE IN
12 1980.
13 JIM IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SOME
TERRIBLY
14 IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD
OF HISTORY IN
15 THE LAST GENERATION, WHICH IS THE
RECOGNITION OF
16 INTELLECTUAL HISTORY, A FIELD THAT
HAD FALLEN INTO
17 DISUSE AND REALLY DISRESPECT AT
THE TIME I WAS IN
18 GRADUATE SCHOOL AND ONLY SUBSEQUENTLY
HAS REEMERGED
19 AS ONE OF THE GREAT FIELDS, AND
JIM IS ONE OF THE
20 MOST DISTINGUISHED PRACTITIONERS
OF IT.
21 HIS BIG BOOK, UNCERTAIN VICTORY:
SOCIAL
22 DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESSIVISM IN
EUROPEAN AND
23 AMERICAN THOUGHT, 1870 TO 1920,
HAS BEEN AN
24 ENORMOUSLY INFLUENTIAL BOOK. IT
IS OBVIOUSLY A
25 VERY IMPORTANT BOOK. HE WON THE
{}MERCURDY AWARD
33
1 FOR THAT, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION
OF AMERICAN
2 HISTORIANS' PRIZE FOR THE BEST
BOOK OF INTELLECTUAL
3 HISTORY WRITTEN IN A TWO-YEAR HISTORY.
SO IT'S A
4 BIG PRIZE AND A JUSTIFIABLE ONE.
5 THE BOOK WAS ALSO NOMINATED
FOR THE PULITZER
6 PRIZE. PLEASE LOOK AT HIS RESUME'
TO SEE THAT
7 THERE IS TWICE ACLS AWARDS. THOSE
AREN'T EASY TO
8 GET. HE HAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS
THAT HE'S WORKING
9 ON AT THE MOMENT, JUST TO GIVE
YOU AN IDEA, ALL I
10 KNOW IS WHAT I READ ON THE RESUME',
BUT TO SHOW YOU
11 THAT HE DOESN'T THINK SMALL, ONE
OF THEM IS CALLED
12 DEMOCRACY IN EUROPE AND AMERICA,
1640 TO 1990.
13 (Laughter)
14 ANOTHER IS THE VIRTUES OF
LIBERALISM, AMERICAN
15 POLITICAL IDEAS, AND THERE ARE
OTHERS. A NUMBER OF
16 US HAVE READ THE PIECE THAT HE
PUBLISHED IN THE
17 JOURNAL OF AMERICAN HISTORY THIS
PAST SUMMER ON
18 DEWEY, A WONDERFUL PIECE, CERTAINLY
THE MOST
19 HELPFUL AND INSIGHTFUL ONE I'VE
READ IN A LONG
20 TIME. SO I GIVE YOU JIM KLOPPENBERG.
21 ASSOCIATE PROF. KLOPPENBERG:
THANK YOU VERY
22 MUCH, STAN. THAT WAS VERY GENEROUS.
AT LAST YOU
23 HEAR FROM THE PERSON WHO GROUNDED
SO MANY OF YOUR
24 FLIGHTS DOWN HERE. COMING TO CENTRAL
FLORIDA IN
25 MID FEBRUARY IS A DREAM COME TRUE
FOR ME. OF
34
1 COURSE, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,
IT WAS A DREAM ABOUT
2 COMING DOWN FOR THE RED SOX FOR
SPRING TRAINING,
3 BUT I WAS DESTINED INSTEAD TO BE
COMING DOWN TO BE
4 AMONG PEOPLE WHO MAKE METAPHORS
ABOUT BASEBALL
5 INSTEAD. DON'T WORRY, BOB, I'LL
KEEP MY METAPHORS
6 TO MYSELF.
7 BUT IN ANOTHER SENSE, THIS
CONFERENCE IS A
8 DREAM COME TRUE BECAUSE IT'S ENABLED
ME TO THINK
9 HARD FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND IN THE
COMPANY OF A
10 REALLY REMARKABLY TALENTED GROUP
OF SCHOLARS AND
11 ACADEMIC LEADERS ABOUT THE TWO
ISSUES THAT HAVE
12 BEEN AT THE CENTER OF MY OWN SCHOLARLY
LIFE,
13 PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL EDUCATION.
14 SO I WANT TO THANK RITA BORNSTEIN
AND BOB
15 ORRILL FOR INVITING ME. AS SOMEONE
WHO'S NOT A
16 SPECIALIST IN HIGHER EDUCATION,
I WAS AT FIRST
17 SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT I COULD CONTRIBUTE
TO SUCH A
18 CONFERENCE. WHEN THEY DECIDED
TO CIRCULATE THAT
19 ARTICLE ON PRAGMATISM, I WAS FLATTERED,
BUT I WAS
20 STILL SOMEWHAT UNEASY.
21 THE VERY FIRST PERSON I MET
WHEN I ARRIVED
22 HERE, ELLEN HURWITZ OF ALBRIGHT
COLLEGE, CONFIRMED
23 THOSE SUSPICIONS. SHE TOLD ME
THAT SHE ENJOYED
24 READING THE PIECE, BUT THEN ASKED
ME THE QUESTION I
25 SUPPOSE MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING
YOURSELF, WHAT
35
1 DOES THIS STUFF HAVE TO DO WITH
LIBERAL EDUCATION?
2 IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, AND
IT'S A QUESTION THAT
3 I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IN THESE REMARKS
THIS MORNING.
4 I WANT TO BEGIN BY TALKING
FOR A FEW MINUTES
5 ABOUT WILLIAM JAMES, AS DAVID LEERY
HAS URGED US TO
6 DO ON SEVERAL POINTS DURING THESE
PROCEEDINGS,
7 JAMES' IDEAS PROVIDE ANOTHER DIMENSION
OF
8 PRAGMATISM THAT I THINK CAN ENRICH
OUR
9 UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATION BETWEEN
PRAGMATISM
10 AND LIBERAL EDUCATION.
11 NOT ONLY DID JAMES HAVE A
POWERFUL EFFECT ON
12 JOHN DEWEY, HE WAS ALSO THE TEACHER
OF W.E.B.
13 DUBOIS AND HORACE KALLEN, WHOM
TROY DUSTER QUITE
14 PROPERLY QUOTED LAST NIGHT IN HIS
DISCUSSION OF
15 CULTURAL PLURALISM. I WANT TO
TALK IN PARTICULAR
16 ABOUT TWO ESSAYS THAT JAMES FIRST
PUBLISHED AT THE
17 CONCLUSION OF A BOOK ENTITLED,
APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH
18 FOR OUR PURPOSES, TALKS TO TEACHERS
ON PSYCHOLOGY
19 AND TO STUDENTS ON SOME OF LIFE'S
IDEALS.
20 THE FIRST OF THESE ESSAYS,
"ON A CERTAIN
21 BLINDNESS IN HUMAN BEINGS,"
PROBES OUR INABILITY TO
22 UNDERSTAND THE SOURCES OF DELIGHT
FOR INDIVIDUALS
23 OTHER THAN OURSELVES. BUT MISSING
THE JOY THAT
24 OTHERS FIND IN THEIR EXPERIENCE
ROBS US OF THE MOST
25 ENRICHING DIMENSION OF LIFE, THE
BROADENING AND
36
1 DEEPENING OF THE UNDERSTANDING
OF WHAT IT IS TO BE
2 HUMAN.
3 WE OFTEN MISS THAT DEPTH BECAUSE
WE LOOK ONLY
4 AT THE EXTERNALS OR THE SURFACE
LEVEL OF THOSE
5 PEOPLE WE KNOW, EVEN THOSE WE KNOW
PRETTY WELL.
6 OUR CHALLENGE, JAMES INSISTS, IS
TO SEE BEYOND THAT
7 CERTAIN BLINDNESS, TO SEE THE PROFOUND
HUMAN
8 SIGNIFICANCE IN THE EVERYDAY, AS
WORDSWORTH AND
9 WHITMAN AND TOLSTOY DID, TO MAKE
OURSELVES
10 RECEPTIVE TO GRASPING WHAT JAMES
CALLED THE
11 UNFATHOMABLE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE
OF EVERY
12 HUMAN LIFE.
13 THE MOST HIGHLY EDUCATED,
JAMES OBSERVED --
14 AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE AT THIS
COLLOQUY -- THE
15 MOST HIGHLY EDUCATED FIND THIS
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT
16 BECAUSE WE ONLY SEE THE BANALITY
OF THE SURFACE OF
17 ORDINARY LIFE AND THUS TO MISS
THE TINGLING
18 RICHNESS BENEATH. INSTEAD JAMES
URGES IN A PASSAGE
19 ALREADY QUOTED BY ELIZABETH MINNICH,
WHICH I'LL
20 QUOTE AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM
OF AMNESIA THAT
21 LEE SHULMAN IDENTIFIED FOR US,
JAMES URGED THAT WE
22 SHOULD STEADFASTLY RESIST PRONOUNCING
ON THE
23 MEANINGLESSNESS OF FORMS OF EXISTENCE
OTHER THAN
24 OUR OWN, AND INSTEAD TOLERATE,
RESPECT AND INDULGE
25 THOSE WHOM WE SEE HARMLESSLY INTERESTED
AND HAPPY
37
1 IN THEIR OWN WAYS HOWEVER UNINTELLIGIBLE
THOSE MAY
2 BE TO US. HANDS OFF. NEITHER
THE WHOLE OF TRUTH
3 NOR THE WHOLE OF GOOD IS REVEALED
TO ANY SINGLE
4 OBSERVER, ALTHOUGH EACH OBSERVER
GAINS A PARTIAL
5 SUPERIORITY OF INSIGHT FROM THE
PECULIAR POSITION
6 IN WHICH HE STANDS.
7 NOW, BEFORE I ATTEMPT TO RELATE
THAT INSIGHT
8 ABOUT PERSPECTURALISM AND DIVERSITY
WITH JAMES'
9 COSMOPOLITAN PRAGMATISM AND THEN
TO CONNECT THAT
10 WITH LIBERAL EDUCATION, I WANTED
TO SAY ABOUT THE
11 COMPANION ESSAY, "WHAT MAKES
A LIFE SIGNIFICANT,"
12 AN ESSAY THAT IS EVERY BIT AS ARRESTING
AS ITS
13 TITLE SUGGESTS. I REMEMBER VIVIDLY
THE MIXTURE OF
14 SATISFACTION AND UNEASINESS I FELT
WHEN A READER OF
15 AN EARLY DRAFT OF ONE OF THE CHAPTERS
OF MY
16 DISSERTATION TOLD ME THAT THE PRINCIPAL
VALUE OF
17 READING THAT CHAPTER HAD BEEN THAT
IT PROMPTED HIM
18 TO GO READ THIS ESSAY BY WILLIAM
JAMES. I, OF
19 COURSE, RATHER HOPED THAT THE VALUE
WOULD BE THE
20 PENETRATING INSIGHTS FROM THE CHAPTER
ITSELF, BUT I
21 COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANT.
I FEEL MUCH THE
22 SAME WAY THIS MORNING.
23 IF I SUCCEED IN THESE REMARKS
IN EVEN
24 PERSUADING A FEW YOU OF TO GO BACK
AND READ "WHAT
25 MAKES A LIFE SIGNIFICANT,"
I'LL BE CONTENT. JAMES
38
1 BEGINS WITH A REMINDER THAT IS
APPROPRIATE FOR US
2 IN THIS WEEKEND OF VALENTINE'S
DAY.
3 EVERY JACK, JAMES WRITES,
SEES IN HIS OWN
4 PARTICULAR JILL CHARMS AND PERFECTIONS
TO THE
5 ENCHANTMENT OF WHICH WE STOLID
OBSERVERS ARE
6 STONE-COLD. NOW, WE SOPHISTICATED
OBSERVERS ARE
7 ESPECIALLY QUICK TO JUDGE JACK
DELUDED, JAMES
8 WROTE, AND EVEN QUICKER TO SEE
IN JACK'S
9 EXAGGERATIONS OF JILL'S VIRTUES
EVIDENCE OF A
10 QUAINT BUT UNFORTUNATE FOLLY.
11 INSTEAD, JAMES ADVISES, WE
OURSELVES ARE
12 VICTIMS OF WHAT HE TERMS A PATHOLOGICAL
ANESTHESIA,
13 AS REGARDS JILL'S MAGICAL IMPORTANCE.
FOR THE
14 PROFOUNDER TRUTHS ARE REVEALED
TO JACK AND NOT TO
15 US. SURELY, JAMES WRITES, POOR
JILL'S PALPITATING
16 LITTLE LIFE THROBS ARE AMONG THE
WONDERS OF
17 CREATION, ARE WORTHY OF THIS SYMPATHETIC
INTEREST,
18 AND IT IS TO OUR SHAME THAT THE
REST OF US CANNOT
19 FEEL LIKE JACK, FOR JACK STRUGGLES
TOWARD A UNION
20 WITH JILL'S INNER LIFE, DIVINING
HER FEELINGS,
21 ANTICIPATING HER DESIRES, UNDERSTANDING
HER LIMITS
22 AS BEST HE CAN.
23 JILL, WHO KNOWS HER INNER
LIFE, KNOWS THAT
24 JACK'S WAY OF TAKING IT, SO IMPORTANTLY,
IS THE
25 TRUE AND SERIOUS WAY, AND SHE RESPONDS
TO THE TRUTH
39
1 IN HIM BY TAKING HIM TRULY AND
SERIOUSLY, TOO.
2 NOW, AT FIRST GLANCE THIS
SEEMS TO US A BIT OF
3 INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL SLUMMING
BY JAMES.
4 ANOTHER EVIDENCE OF THE CREDULOUS
WILLINGNESS TO
5 ATTRIBUTE PROFOUND HUMAN VALUE
TO THE MOST
6 UNIMPORTANT SENTIMENTAL NONSENSE.
JUST THE SORT OF
7 FLABBY THINKING THAT DROVE HIS
CRITICS CRAZE.
8 JAMES DIRECTS HIS ATTENTION
TO THE
9 UNSENTIMENTAL CYNICS IN HIS AUDIENCE,
AND I THINK
10 LIKEWISE ENGAGES US, HIS EVEN MORE
UNSENTIMENTAL,
11 AND EVEN MORE CYNICAL READERS A
CENTURY LATER.
12 WHERE WOULD ANY OF US BE, HE ASKS,
WERE THERE NO
13 ONE WILLING TO KNOW US AS WE REALLY
ARE AND READY
14 TO REPAY US FOR OUR INSIGHT BY
MAKING RECOGNIZANT
15 RETURN?
16 WE OUGHT ALL OF US, HE URGES,
TO REALIZE EACH
17 OTHER IN THIS WAY. WE SHOULD LEARN
NOT TO EXCLUDE
18 THOSE WHO ARE NOT PART OF OUR CHARMED
CIRCLES NOR
19 POISON SUCH SYMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING
WITH THE
20 PETTY JEALOUSIES THAT TOO OFTEN
SOUR WHAT JAMES
21 CALLS ORDINARY JACK AND JILL AFFECTION.
PRECISELY
22 THE EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND EVERY
OTHER PERSON FROM
23 WITHIN, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF
HIS OR HER OWN MOST
24 PRECIOUS ASPIRATIONS, JAMES OFFERS
AS THE IDEAL FOR
25 WHICH WE SHOULD STRIVE.
40
1 SO HOW SHOULD WE GO ABOUT
IT, AND WHAT DOES IT
2 HAVE TO DO WITH MAKING A LIFE SIGNIFICANT?
AS THE
3 ESSAY UNFOLDS, JAMES ENTERTAINS
AND THEN DISMISSES
4 SEVERAL STRATEGIES THAT MIGHT BE
OFFERED TO HELP US
5 REACH THIS BROADER GOAL OF MAKING
OUR LIVES
6 SIGNIFICANT.
7 HE FIRST DESCRIBES THE PLEASANT
BUT SANITIZED
8 EXPERIENCE OF MIDDLE-CLASS REFINEMENT,
EDUCATION,
9 AND CONTENTENT HE OBSERVED AT CHAUTAUQUA,
NEW YORK,
10 WHICH WAS PERHAPS THE CLOSEST THING
IN HIS
11 EXPERIENCE TO A VISIT TO DISNEY
WORLD CELEBRATION,
12 THE NEW DISNEY-PLANNED COMMUNITY
OUTSIDE OF ORLANDO
13 AND ROLLINS COLLEGE.
14 AFTER ADMITTING THE APPEAL
OF CHAUTAUQUA,
15 JAMES DISMISSES THE COMMUNITY AS
EVIDENCE FOR HIS
16 FEAR IN HIS THAT AN IRREMEDIABLE
FLATNESS IS COMING
17 OVER THE WORLD WHICH THREATENS
TO EXTINGUISH THE
18 ELEMENT OF PRECIPITOUSNESS THAT
MAKES POSSIBLE
19 HUMAN GREATNESS.
20 CLEARLY WHEN HE WAS AT CHAUTAUQUA,
HE DIDN'T
21 SAY THAT'S SOMETHING LIKE THE HOTEL
LANGFORD NOR
22 HAVE TO DODGE MOTORCYCLES CROSSING
FAIRBANKS TO GET
23 TO THESE LECTURES.
24 NOW, AFTER ADMITTING THE APPEAL
OF THIS LIFE,
25 JAMES DISMISSES IT AND CONSIDERS
AS ANOTHER
41
1 POSSIBLE SOURCE OF HUMAN SIGNIFICANCE
THE SPECTACLE
2 OF HARD HUMAN LABOR; WHETHER IT'S
IN FACTORIES OR
3 MINES, FIGHTING FIRES OR BUILDING
BRIDGES. BUT AS
4 A GENERAL PROPOSITION, THIS, TOO,
FAILS TO SATISFY
5 JAMES, BECAUSE WE CANNOT ASSUME
THAT SUCH WORK
6 BRINGS TO THOSE WHO DO IT THE SAME
ENNOBLING
7 SIGNIFICANCE ATTRIBUTED TO IT BY
POETS WHO VIEW IT
8 FROM A DISTANCE.
9 JAMES CONCLUDES THAT INTENSE
EXPERIENCE CAN
10 HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFICANCE ONLY WHEN,
IN HIS WORDS,
11 THE INNER JOY, COURAGE AND ENDURANCE
ARE JOINED
12 WITH AN IDEAL. MOREOVER, SUCH
IDEALS MUST NOT
13 EXIST MERELY AS OBJECTS OF CONTEMPLATION.
TO HAVE
14 MEANING AND POWER, HE ARGUES, THEIR
SENTIMENTAL
15 SURFACE MUST BE MULTIPLIED BY THE
DIMENSION OF
16 ACTIVE WILL IF WE ARE TO HAVE DEPTH,
IF WE ARE TO
17 HAVE ANYTHING CUBICAL AND SOLID
IN THE WAY OF
18 CHARACTER.
19 SO THE MERE ENTERTAINING OF
HIGH IDEALS, THE
20 SORT OF ACTIVITY THAT COLLEGE PROFESSORS
AND
21 ADMINISTRATORS TYPICALLY ENGAGE
IN WHEN THEY GATHER
22 IN CONFERENCES TO THINK ABOUT LIBERAL
EDUCATION IS,
23 BY ITSELF, JAMES WARNS, NOT TERRIBLY
IMPORTANT.
24 FOR THE IDEALS TAKEN BY THEMSELVES
GIVE NO REALITY;
25 THE VIRUES BY THEMSELVES NO NOVELTY.
42
1 WHAT MATTERS, INSTEAD, IS
THAT STRANGE UNION
2 OF REALITY WITH IDEAL NOVELTY AND
RECOGNIZING SUCH
3 NEW FORMS OF THE IDEAL IS, JAMES
ARGUES, THE TASK
4 OF WHAT WE CALL INTELLIGENCE.
SO, HE REASONS,
5 CULTURE AND REFINEMENT ALL ALONE
ARE NOT ENOUGH,
6 IDEAL ASPIRATIONS AREN'T ENOUGH
WHEN UNCOMBINED
7 WITH PLUCK AND WILL. BUT NEITHER
ARE PLUCK AND
8 WILL, DOGGED ENDURANCE AND INSENSIBILITY
TO DANGER
9 ENOUGH, WHEN TAKEN ALL ALONE.
THERE MUST SOME SORT
10 OF FUSION, SOME CHEMICAL COMBINATION
AMONG THESE
11 PRINCIPLES FOR A LIFE OBJECTIVELY
AND THOROUGHLY
12 SIGNIFICANT TO RESULT.
13 NOW, SOME OF YOU HAVE NO DOUBT
ALREADY FIGURED
14 OUT WHERE I'M GOING WITH ALL THIS;
OTHERS MAY BE
15 WONDERING WHY JAMES' MUSINGS ON
A CERTAIN BLINDNESS
16 AND HUMAN SIGNIFICANCE HAVE ANY
SIGNIFICANCE FOR US
17 HERE THIS MORNING OR ANY MORE SIGNIFICANCE
THAN MY
18 ARTICLE ON PRAGMATISM FOR LIBERAL
EDUCATION.
19 I'D SAY THE PRAGMATIC DIMENSIONS
OF THESE TWO
20 LECTURES CAN BE STATED SIMPLY IN
TERMS THAT
21 RESONATE WITH MUCH OF WHAT WE'VE
HEARD DURING THIS
22 COLLOQUY. IN HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS,
LUKE MENAND
23 ARGUED PERSUASIVELY THAT THE GOALS
OF THE LIBERAL
24 EDUCATION INCLUDE SYMPATHY, CURIOSITY,
A SENSE OF
25 PRINCIPLE AND INDEPENDENT MINDEDNESS.
JAMES' POINT
43
1 WAS MUCH THE SAME: BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE
DERIVES FROM
2 EXPERIENCE, TRUTHS CANNOT BE CONSIDERED
ABSOLUTE,
3 AND DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE WILL
LEAD TO DIVERSITY
4 OF BELIEFS.
5 BUT THAT AWARENESS NEED NOT
MAKE US EITHER
6 BLIND TO EACH OTHER OR INTOLERANT
OF SUCH
7 DIVERSITY. INSTEAD, THE PRAGMATIC
SENSIBILITY THAT
8 JAMES DESCRIBES IS UNUSUALLY ALERT
TO THE INTERNAL
9 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ALTERNATE PERCEPTIONS
AND
10 VALUATIONS OF PEOPLE UNLIKE OURSELVES
AND UNUSUALLY
11 SYMPATHETIC TO VARIOUS ATTEMPTS
TO REALIZE
12 DIFFERENT IDEALS.
13 JAMES' PRAGMATISM CELEBRATES
DIVERSITY AND
14 CONDEMNS INTOLERANCE. IT CONDEMNS
IDLE SPECULATION
15 AND CELEBRATES THE ATTEMPT TO REALIZE
THE IDEALS OF
16 SYMPATHY AND EXPERIMENTATION IN
THE PRACTICE OF
17 EVERYDAY LIFE. IT IS THAT CONSCIOUS,
STRENUOUS
18 EFFORT THAT MAKES A LIFE SIGNIFICANT.
19 FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIVE OUR
LIVES IN COLLEGES
20 AND UNIVERSITIES DEVOTED TO THE
PRACTICE OF THE
21 LIBERAL ARTS, THESE ARE POTENTIALLY
INSTRUCTIVE
22 INSIGHTS. THEY POINT US AWAY FROM
EXCLUSIVE
23 EMPHASIS ON THE CLASSICS OR THE
CANON AS A FIXED
24 BODY OF TEXT THAT DOES NOT CHANGE
AS CULTURES
25 DEVELOP.
44
1 THEY ALSO POINT US AWAY FROM
THE EXCLUSIVE
2 EMPHASIS ON TEACHING SKILLS, WITHOUT
ALSO EXPOSING
3 STUDENTS TO THE WIDE RANGE OF SUBSTANTIVE
IDEAS
4 ABOUT HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND HUMAN
EXCELLENCE THAT
5 WILL EXPAND THE HORIZONS BEYOND
THOSE THEY BRING
6 WITH THEM TO COLLEGE.
7 JAMES' IDEAS ABOUT BLINDNESS
AND SIGNIFICANCE
8 INDICATE THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING
OUR STUDENTS
9 BECOME HUMAN BEINGS CAPABLE OF
THINKING CREATIVELY
10 AND SYMPATHIZING IMAGINATIVELY
WITH OTHERS. THEY
11 SUGGEST THE IMPORTANCE OF TYING
THE TEXTS OR THE
12 CASES OR THE PROBLEMS WE TEACH
TO THE LIVES OUR
13 STUDENTS ARE ENVISIONING FOR THEMSELVES
AFTER THEY
14 LEAVE US, LIVES WE WANT TO HELP
THEM LEARN HOW TO
15 MAKE SIGNIFICANT.
16 WHAT I MEAN BY COSMOPOLITAN
PRAGMATISM IS
17 PRECISELY THIS EMPHASIS ON FOSTERING
A BROAD
18 PERSPECTIVE THAT UNDERTAKES TO
UNDERSTAND AND
19 RESPECT THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS,
THAT PRIZES THE
20 IDEAL OF RECIPROCITY AND THAT RECOGNIZES
THE
21 DESIRABILITY OF CARRYING THAT PRACTICE
OF
22 DELIBERATION AS A MEANS OF TRUTH
TESTING AND
23 PROBLEM SOLVING OUT OF THE REALM
OF ABSTRATION AND
24 INTO DAILY LIFE.
25 NOW, TEMPTING AS IT IS TO
DESCRIBE THE IDEALS
45
1 AND IDEAS OF COSMOPOLITAL PRAGMATISM
IN GREATER
2 DETAIL, I WILL RESIST BECAUSE THOSE
OF YOU WHO HAVE
3 WORKED THROUGH THAT ESSAY OF MINE
KNOW MORE THAN
4 YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW ALREADY
ABOUT MY IDEAS ON
5 PRAGMATISM OLD AND NEW. SO I'M
NOT GOING TO WORRY
6 ANY FURTHER ABOUT AMNESIA OR ILLUSORY
7 UNDERSTANDING. I THINK YOU'VE
HEARD VERSIONS OF
8 THESE IDEAS ADVANCED TOO MANY TIMES
AND BY TOO MANY
9 PERSUASIVE PEOPLE THIS WEEKEND
FOR YOU TO FORGET
10 THESE IDEAS OR FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING
OF THEM TO BE
11 ILLUSORY. SO I'LL NOT ELABORATE
FURTHER ON THESE
12 IDEAS OR ON THE REASONS WHY I WOULD
DISTINGUISH
13 THEM FROM THE PRAGMATISM OF RICHARD
RORTY AND OTHER
14 TEXUALISTS IN THE CURRENT DEBATES
OVER PRAGMATISM;
15 OR WHY I WOULD CONNECT THEM INSTEAD
WITH
16 CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHERS WHO SHARE
THE EARLIER
17 PRAGMATISTS' CONVICTIONS WHICH
ELIZABETH MINNICH
18 QUITE PROPERLY CHARACTERIZED AS
DEEPLY MORAL AND
19 POLITICAL.
20 INSTEAD, I WANT TO CONSIDER
THE RELATION
21 BETWEEN THIS KIND OF COSMOPOLITAL
PRAGMATISM AND
22 THE PRACTICE OF LIBERAL EDUCATION
AT THE END OF THE
23 20TH CENTURY. IF WE TAKE SERIOUSLY
THE IDEAS OF
24 THESE PRAGMATISTS AND THEIR STRATEGIES,
WE SHOULD
25 REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION TO BALANCE
46
1 THE GOALS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION
AND SOCIALIZATION AS
2 DEWEY ARGUED IN HIS DISCUSSION
OF PRIMARY AND
3 SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DEMOCRACY
AND EDUCATION AND AS
4 THOMAS EHRLICH'S ARGUMENT ON FRIDAY.
5 JACK LANE, WHO IN HIS ESSAY
ON THE ROLLINS
6 CONFERENCE OF 1931 AND THE SEARCH
FOR A PROGRESSIVE
7 LIBERAL EDUCATION POINTED OUT THAT
IN THE LAST 65
8 YEARS SOME COLLEGES HAVE TENDED
TO EMPHASIZE
9 OFFERING STUDENTS LOTS OF OPTIONS
MAKES IT CLEAR
10 THAT LETTING INTERNSHIPS AND INDEPENDENT
STUDIES
11 AND SELF-DIRECTED PROGRAMS PROLIFERATE
IN ORDER TO
12 SATISFY STUDENT INTERESTS STANDS
AT A DISTANCE FROM
13 WHAT DEWEY HAD IN MIND.
14 DEWEY ALWAYS EMPHASIZED BY
CONTRAST THAT
15 INTERESTS MUST NOT BE TREATED AS
BRUTE BUT INSTEAD
16 MUST BE DEVELOPED, NURTURED AND
HELPED TO MATURE
17 THROUGH DISCIPLINE AND THROUGH
EDUCATION.
18 I BELIEVE AN OVEREMPHASIS
ON EACH COLLEGE
19 STUDENT'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS A
SERIOUS MISTAKE. I
20 BELIEVE WE MUST EMPHASIZE INSTEAD
THE IMPORTANCE OF
21 WHAT GOES ON IN THE CLASSROOM AND
THE LIBRARY AND
22 THE LABORATORY, BECAUSE AS TROY
DUSTER SAID LAST
23 NIGHT AND LEE SHULMAN YESTERDAY
MORNING, THAT IS
24 WHERE WE CAN GIVE OUR STUDENTS
THE EXPERIENCE OF
25 ENGAGED DELIBERATION.
47
1 JACK LANE QUOTES DEWEY TO
THE EFFECT THAT THE
2 SOCIAL EXPERIENCE OF LEARNING TOGETHER
IS A CRUCIAL
3 FEATURE OF EDUCATION, AND THAT'S
THE DIMENSION OF
4 RIGOROUS INQUIRY THAT CAN LOST
WHEN WE TURN
5 COLLEGES INTO CONSUMER-DRIVEN SERVICE
CENTERS
6 ORIENTED TOWARDS SATISFYING STUDENTS'
INTERESTS IN
7 CLUBS AND MOVIES AND TRAVEL AND
EVEN IN THE
8 PROLIFERATION OF INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
UNLESS
9 THOSE ARE DESIGNED WITH CARE.
10 MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN THE
PROVISION OF SUCH
11 SERVICES, UNIVERSITIES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
TO
12 MAKE SURE STUDENTS BECOME EDUCATED
IN THE CULTURAL
13 AND INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE
TO THEM. AS
14 CHARLES ANDERSON POINTED OUT, THE
PRAGMATISTS URGED
15 US TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO
INTERROGATE
16 INTERESTS CRITICALLY, NOT JUST
TO ACT ON THEM OR
17 AGGREGATE THEM. STUDENTS MUST,
OF COURSE, ACQUIRE
18 THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH
THEIR LIFE GOALS,
19 AND VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTION,
WRITING
20 AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING ARE
QUITE PROPERLY
21 DESIGNED TO DO JUST THAT.
22 BUT IN ADDITION TO THESE TOOLS,
THESE LIFE
23 SKILLS, AS THEY'RE SOMETIMES CALLED,
WE MUST
24 PROVIDE THE GRADUATES OF OUR LIBERAL
ARTS
25 INSTITUTIONS WITH A BROADER AND
DEEPER COGNITIVE,
48
1 ETHICAL AND, AS ELIZABETH MINNICH
SAID, POLITICAL
2 RESOURCES THAT COME WITH A LIBERAL
EDUCATION. I
3 BELIEVE WE SHOULD CONCEIVE OF THOSE
RESOURCES
4 PRAGMATICALLY IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCE
THEY CAN
5 MAKE IN HELPING STUDENTS BECOME
WHAT, AS ALEXANDER
6 ASTIN CALLED, AGENTS OF SOCIAL
CHANGE.
7 AS DEWEY PUT IT IN A PASSAGE
THAT BOB ORRILL
8 QUOTED IN HIS INTRODUCTION, THE
CONDITION OF
9 AMERICAN LIBERAL EDUCATION, WE
MUST CONNECT
10 AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION WITH
THE DOMINANT
11 INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE
GREAT BODY OF THE
12 AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT'S CLEAR THAT
THE SCRAMBLE FOR
13 MARKET SHARE AMONG SHREWD STUDENT
CONSUMERS MAY
14 DRIVE ADMISSIONS OFFICES AND STUDENT
AFFAIRS
15 OFFICES TO LOBBY FOR DROPPING REQUIREMENTS
AND FOR
16 POURING MORE MONEY INTO EVER GRANDER
ATHLETIC
17 FACILITIES THAT RIVAL THE MOST
ELEGANT HEALTH
18 CLUBS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT DEWEY
HAD IN MIND.
19 TO UPDATE DEWEY'S LANGUAGE
SOMEWHAT WITHOUT, I
20 THINK, ALTERING HIS MEANING, I
THINK WE COULD SAY
21 THAT DEWEY BELIEVED OUR STUDENTS
SHOULD LEARN NOT
22 ONLY THE SKILLS BUT THE SENSIBILITY
REQUIRED FOR
23 PARTICIPATING IN A DELIBERATIVE
DEMOCRACY. TO ECHO
24 ALEXANDER ASTIN, IF WE DON'T ASK
THEM HOW TO DO
25 THAT, IF WE DON'T TEACH THEM THOSE
HABITS OF MIND,
49
1 WHO WILL?
2 IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE, I THINK,
TO EXAGGERATE
3 THESE COSMOPOLITAL PRAGMATISTS'
SUSPICIONS OF
4 REASON OR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE
DECENTERED
5 SELF-PRIZED BY POSTMODERNISTS.
I'VE BEEN PLEASED
6 TO FIND MYSELF AT A CONFERENCE
WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE
7 MORE INCLINED TO QUOTE DEWEY THAN
RORTY, YET THE
8 EARLY PRAGMATISTS DID UNDERSTAND
THAT ENCOUNTERS
9 WITH DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW CAN
TEACH THE VIRTUE
10 AS WELL AS THE NECESSITY OF WHAT
IS NOW CALLED
11 DIALOGICAL THINKING.
12 AS RECENT PRAGMATISTS SUCH
AS HILLARY PUTNAM
13 AND RICHARD BERSTEIN HAVE POINTED
OUT IN THEIR
14 RESPONSES TO POSTMODERNISM AND
THEIR REFINEMENTS OF
15 THE IDEALS OF JURGEN HABERMAS,
ENCOUNTERS WITH
16 DIVERSITY CAN HELP FOSTER A COMMITMENT
TO
17 COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING
AS WELL AS
18 ELIMINATING THE INSTABILITY OF
THE INDIVIDUAL
19 SUBJECT.
20 THE COMPLEXITY OF JUDGMENT
AND THE DIFFICULTY
21 OF REACHING AGREEMENT THROUGH INTERACTION
AMONG
22 SELVES THAT ARE CONSTITUTED DISCURSIVELY.
A
23 COMMITMENT TO COSMOPOLITAN PRAGMATISM
IN LIBERAL
24 EDUCATION WOULD LEAD US TO HELP
OUR STUDENTS TO
25 ENCOUNTER THE OTHER IN THEIR ACADEMIC
WORK AS WELL
50
1 AS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES SO THAT
THEY CONFRONT
2 REGULARLY THE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE
AND ACCOMMODATE
3 DIFFERENCE.
4 THIS IS THE POINT THAT I TOOK
ELIZABETH
5 MINNICH TO BE MAKING LAST NIGHT.
LIBERAL EDUCATION
6 IS A PRACTICE THAT ENABLES STUDENTS
TO LEARN HOW TO
7 CONFRONT DIFFERENCE, HOW TO GROW
AND CHANGE AND
8 LEARN FROM THAT CONFRONTATION,
AND HOW TO TRY TO
9 MOVE BEYOND IT THROUGH TAKING DIFFERENCES
10 SERIOUSLY. THE EXPERIENCE OF DELIBERATION
DOESN'T
11 ALWAYS YIELD THE BROADENED SPECTRUM
PRAGMATISTS
12 WANT BUT SOMETIMES, AS IN THE ACADEMIC
EXPERIENCE
13 OF STUDENTS THAT TROY DUSTER DESCRIBED
LAST NIGHT
14 AT U.C. BERKELEY, IT DOES HAVE
THAT EFFECT.
15 EVEN THOUGH THE FACTS OF DEMOGRAPHIC
DIVERSITY
16 AND CULTURAL UPHEAVAL RATHER THAN
THE IDEALS OF
17 COSMOPOLITAN PRAGMATISM MAY HAVE
ALTERED THE
18 POPULATIONS AND CURRICULA OF AMERICAN
COLLEGES AND
19 UNIVERSITIES, SUCH CHANGES ARE
MORE THAN JUST
20 COMPATIBLE WITH PRAGMATIC IDEALS.
THESE CHANGES
21 MAKE FAR MORE LIKELY THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A
22 WIDESPREAD PRAGMATIC SENSIBILITY
THAN WAS THE CASE
23 BEFORE THESE CHANGES 30 YEARS AGO.
24 THE IDEAL AS WELL AS THE PRACTICE
OF
25 DELIBERATION IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN
THE AMERICAN
51
1 EXPERIENCE WITH DEMOCRACY. IT
CAN BE TRACED BACK
2 THROUGH THE PRACTICES THAT TOCQUEVILLE
DESCRIBED,
3 TO THE PURITANS AND THE QUAKERS,
AND AS STAN KATZ
4 POINTED OUT, I'M IN THE PROCESS
OF TRYING TO DO
5 JUST THAT TRACING.
6 BUT WE NOW ENJOY AN ESPECIALLY
PROPITIOUS
7 MOMENT FOR ADVANCING THAT PRACTICE
AND ADVOCATING
8 PRAGMATISM AS IT'S CONTEMPORARY
PHILOSOPHICAL
9 RATIONALE. WE LIVE IN AN ERA THAT
LACKS THE
10 CONFIDENCE IN NATURAL LAW AND REVEALED
RELIGION
11 THAT UNDERLAY THE 18TH CENTURY
COMMITMENT TO
12 POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY THAT GAVE US
OUR POLITICAL
13 INSTITUTIONS.
14 USING PRAGMATISM TO UNDERGIRD
DELIBERATIVE
15 DEMOCRACY IS NOT AND CANNOT BE
A STRATEGY FOR
16 SERIOUS POSTMODERNISM, AS LUKE
MENAND POINTS OUT IN
17 THE CONDITION OF AMERICAN LIBERAL
EDUCATION.
18 BECAUSE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE,
DIFFERENCE AND
19 DIVERSITY LEAD NOWHERE BUT TOWARDS
A CULTURE OF
20 IRONY AND THE CULTIVATION OF CYNICISM.
21 PRAGMATISM CAN HELP THOSE
OF US WHO ARE
22 COMMITTED TO LIBERAL EDUCATION.
IF WE TAKE
23 SERIOUSLY THE PRAGMATISM OF JAMES
AND DEWEY, WE
24 SHOULD NOT TREAT THE CULTURAL RESOURCES
OF LIBERAL
25 EDUCATION AS FIXED, AS AN UNCHANGING
CANON. BUT
52
1 NEITHER SHOULD WE THROW UP OUR
HANDS AND DISMISS
2 ALL EFFORTS AT CANON FORMATION
AS AN OLD-FASHIONED
3 ELITIST, EUROCENTRIC PLOT, BECAUSE
THE CANON OF
4 GREAT BOOKS HAS BEEN CHANGING FOR
AS LONG AS THERE
5 HAS BEEN A CANON.
6 ALL THE HISTORICAL STUDIES
OF LIBERAL
7 EDUCATION TO UNDERSCORE A POINT
WELL MADE BY
8 CHARLES ELIOT AND MORE RECENTLY
BY BRUCE KIMBALL
9 AND FRANCIS OAKLEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED
THAT CULTURAL
10 DEBATE BEGINS THE DAY AFTER THE
CANON IS FORMED.
11 AS ONE WHO IN THE LATE 1980'S VOLUNTEERED
TO SERVE
12 AS A MEDIATOR IN THE CULTURE WARS
AND ENDED UP
13 SERVING A TOUR OF ACTIVE DUTY ON
THE FRONT, I CAN
14 TESTIFY THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO
SURVIVE THAT
15 EXPERIENCE WITH ONE'S COMMITMENTS
TO PRAGMATISM AND
16 LIBERAL EDUCATION MORE OR LESS
INTACT.
17 I SPENT THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
OF THE 1990'S
18 WORKING WITH RICHARD FOX EDITING
A VOLUME ENTITLED,
19 A COMPANION TO AMERICAN THOUGHT,
WHICH WAS
20 PUBLISHED IN THE FALL OF 1995.
THIS VOLUME
21 CONTAINS MORE THAN 600 ORIGINAL
ESSAYS BY MORE THAN
22 230 CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS WRITING
ON EVERYTHING
23 FROM THE PURITANS TO POSTMODERNISM,
FROM ABIGAIL
24 ADAMS TO JANE ADDAMS, FROM ANNE
HUTCHINSON TO TONI
25 MORRISON, FROM ROGER WILLIAMS TO
RICHARD WRIGHT.
53
1 IT INCLUDES, FOR EXAMPLE,
AN EXCELLENT ESSAY
2 ON EDUCATION BY ELLEN LAGEMANN;
AN ESSAY ON
3 LIBERTARIANISM BY ALAN RYAN; AN
ESSAY ON SIMPLICITY
4 ON THE SIMPLE LIFE BY DAVID SHI,
THE PRESIDENT OF
5 FURMAN COLLEGE WHO WAS PRESENT
FOR AT LEAST SOME OF
6 OUR DELIBERATIONS HERE THIS WEEKEND;
RICHARD FOX,
7 ADN I BOTH BELIEVE THAT A COMPANION
TO AMERICAN
8 THOUGHT WILL STAND AS A DOCUMENT
OF THE STATE OF
9 THINKING ABOUT THE AMERICAN IDEAS
IN THE LAST
10 DECADE OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND
THE THEMES OF
11 DEMOCRACY AND PRAGMATISM ARE CENTRAL
TO THE BOOK.
12 THE EXPERIENCE OF EDITING
THIS VOLUME HAS LEFT
13 ME SIMULTANEOUSLY ENCOURAGED AND
TROUBLED BY THE
14 PROCESS OF RETHINKING LIBERAL EDUCATION.
I AM AS
15 IMPRESSED BY THE RICHNESS OF THE
KNOWLEDGE
16 AVAILABLE ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE,
WHETHER ONE IS
17 INTERESTED IN DEAD WHITE MALES,
SUCH AS JONATHAN
18 EDWARDS AND HENRY ADAMS, AS ONE
WOULD FIND IF ONE
19 WERE INTERESTED IN RECENT BLOSSOMING
OF SCHOLARSHIP
20 CONCERNING AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURES
AND NONWHITE
21 FEMALE NOVELISTS, TO NAME TWO EXAMPLES
AMONG MANY
22 OF THE COMPANION. I DON'T SEE
WHY WE HAVE TO
23 CHOOSE BETWEEN THE CLASSICS AND
MULTI-CULTURALISM
24 IN OUR SCHOLARSHIP OR IN OUR TEACHING.
25 BUT I'M ALSO SOBERED BY THE
SKEPTICISM OF SOME
54
1 CRITICS TOWARD OUR BELIEF THAT
THE CONTRIBUTORS TO
2 OUR COMPANION COULD THEMSELVES
REPRESENT AND COULD
3 DO JUSTICE TO DIFFERENT SIDES OF
CONTEMPORARY
4 SCHOLARLY DEBATE BECAUSE WE ASKED
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
5 NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE RELIABLE INFORMATION
BUT ALSO
6 TO SURVEY THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING
THESE TOPICS
7 AND FINALLY TO EXPLAIN WHY IT MATTERS;
WHAT
8 DIFFERENCE IT MAKES THAT WE KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT
9 THESE IDEAS AND THESE INDIVIDUALS.
10 WHEREAS MOST NEWSPAPER REVIEWERS
AND TALK SHOW
11 HOSTS HAVE WELCOMED THIS EFFORT
TO INCORPORATE
12 DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AS A SENSIBLE
ALTERNATIVE TO
13 INCREASINGLY STRIDENT CULTURE WARS,
SOME ACADEMIC
14 REVIEWERS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM
15 HAVE BEEN MORE SUSPICIOUS OF THE
PROJECT.
16 EVEN IF WE HAVEN'T MANAGED
TO PERSUADE ALL
17 READERS OF A COMPANION TO AMERICAN
THOUGHT, THAT IT
18 IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE DEEP CONVICTIONS
AS A SCHOLAR
19 WHILE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
AND RESPECT THE
20 VIEWS OF THOSE WITH WHOM YOU DISAGREE,
I STILL
21 BELIEF REACHING THAT GOAL SHOULD
REMAIN THE IDEAL
22 OF A PRAGMATICALLY INSPIRED LIBERAL
EDUCATION.
23 OUR CHALLENGE AS EDUCATORS
IS TO HELP OUR
24 STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE WAYS IN
WHICH TODAY'S
25 CULTURES HAVE DEVELOPED, OR AS
THOMAS EHRLICH PUT
55
1 IT, TO SHOW STUDENTS THE SOURCES
OF OUR PROBLEMS,
2 USING THE RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES
AVAILABLE FROM THE
3 PAST AND FROM THE PRESENT, FROM
THE UNITED STATES
4 AND ELSEWHERE.
5 THIS EMPHATICALLY DOES NOT
MEAN DISCARDING THE
6 PRINCIPAL TEXTS FROM EUROPEAN AND
AMERICAN CULTURAL
7 HISTORY OR SACRIFICING DEPTH FOR
A CURRENTLY
8 FASHIONABLE BUT UNSCHOLARLY BREADTH
IN OUR COURSES,
9 BUT IT JUST AS EMPHATICALLY DOES
NOT MEAN EXCLUDING
10 NEW VOICES FROM OUTSIDE THOSE RECEIVED
TRADITIONS.
11 IN LIBERAL EDUCATION, WE SHOULD
BE AIMING, AS
12 JAMES AND DEWEY WERE AIMING, TO
INCREASE OUR
13 AWARENESS OF THE HISTORICITY OF
IDEAS AND THE
14 DIVERSITY OF CULTURES, NOT FOR
THEIR OWN SAKE, BUT
15 BECAUSE THAT AWARENESS MAKES POSSIBLE
THE
16 PARTICIPATION OF EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS
IN THE
17 CONSTRUCTION OF A DEMOCRATIC CULTURE,
AND BECAUSE
18 IT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR STUDENTS'
REALIZATION THAT
19 THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING A DEMOCRATIC
CULTURE IS
20 ENDLESS.
21 THIS IS EDUCATION CONCEIVED
NOT IN THE TERMS
22 OF HUTCHINS' TIMELESS TRUTHS BUT
IN TERMS OF THE
23 PRAGMATISTS' IDEAS OF INTERACTIVE
EXPERIENCE,
24 INSTRUMENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND AN IDEAL
DELIBERATIVE
25 DEMOCRACY.
56
1 THE IDEAS THAT HAVE SUPPLANTED
OLDER VERSIONS
2 OF RACIAL SUPREMACY IN AMERICA
ARE NOT UNLIKE THOSE
3 THAT UNDERLIE EXPANDED CONCEPTIONS
OF LIBERAL
4 EDUCATION. SUCH IDEAS REQUIRED
ACCEPTANCE OF
5 SOMETHING LIKE W.E.B. DUBOIS' NOTION
OF DOUBLE
6 CONSCIOUSNESS, THE EFFORT TO KEEP
IN BALANCE
7 BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO FULLY
RECONCILE THE
8 COMPETING DEMANDS OF THE SELF AND
THE OTHER.
9 SUCH A COSMOPOLITAL AND PRAGMATIC
SELF IS
10 CONSTITUTED BY THE TENSION BETWEEN
ONE'S OWN
11 AWARENESS OF MEMBERSHIP IN A PARTICULAR
COMMUNITY,
12 WHETHER RACIAL OR OTHERWISE, AND
ONE'S ASPIRATION
13 TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE LARGER, MORE
COSMOPOLITAN AND
14 TRANSRACIAL HUMAN COMMUNITY, A
TENSION FURTHER
15 DEEPENED BY THE AWARENESS THAT
THE OTHER IS NEVER
16 SINGLE BUT ALWAYS MULTIPLE. THOSE
CONTRADICTORY
17 DEMANDS ALERT INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY
MEMBERS OF
18 RACIAL MINORITIES, DEBOIS ARGUED,
TO THE NECESSITY
19 OF WORKING TO LEGITIMATE A CULTURAL
IDEAL BEYOND
20 THE SUMMING OF PURELY INDIVIDUAL
PREFERENCE.
21 THIS IS WHERE I THINK THE
APPARENT DIFFERENCES
22 BETWEEN TROY DUSTER AND CHARLES
ANDERSON CAN BE
23 RESOLVED. ONLY WHEN THE PREFERENCES
AND
24 PERSPECTIVES OF MEMBERS OF A MAJORITY
ARE FORMED
25 THROUGH INTERACTION WITH AND RECOGNITION
OF THE
57
1 DIFFERENT DESIRES OF MEMBERS OF
MINORITIES CAN THE
2 LATTER HOPE TO ESCAPE OPPRESSION.
ONLY BY
3 PERSUADING ALL MEMBERS OF DEMOCRATIC
CULTURES THAT
4 THEIR IDEAL OF SELFHOOD MUST INCORPORATE
THE DOUBLE
5 CONSCIOUSNESS TO WHICH SOME MEMBERS
OF RACIAL
6 MINORITIES COME NATURALLY, ALBEIT
PAINFULLY, AND TO
7 WHICH SOME OTHER PEOPLE COME BY
EMBRACING ETHICAL
8 IDEALS SUCH AS THE CATEGORICAL
IMPERATIVE OR THE
9 CHRISTIAN LAW OF LOVE OR POLITICAL
IDEAS SUCH AS
10 THE ETHIC OF RECIPROCITY, ONLY
WHEN THAT HAPPENS
11 CAN WE MOVE TOWARDS HORACE KALLEN'S
CULTURAL
12 PLURALISM, OR EVEN BEYOND IT TOWARDS
THE IDEAL OF
13 AN AMERICAN TRANSNATIONALISM THAT
MICHAEL WALZER
14 HAS DESCRIBED OR THE POSTETHNIC
AMERICA THAT THE
15 HISTORIAN DAVID HOLLINGER SO PERSUASIVELY
LAID OUT
16 IN HIS ESSAY ON COSMOPOLITANISM
IN THE COMPANION TO
17 AMERICAN THOUGHT AND IN HIS WONDERFUL
BOOK ENTITLED
18 POSTETHNIC AMERICA.
19 IF WE REMAIN PARTISANS OF
AN ENLARGED LIBERAL
20 EDUCATION, OUR AIM NEED NOT BE
AN UNCRITICAL
21 UNIVERSALISM NOR A CYNICAL AND
UNDISCRIMINATING
22 SKEPTICISM, NEITHER THE UNCHASTENED
CONFIDENCE OF
23 ENLIGHTENMENT RATIONALISTS NOR
A UNIVERSAL
24 HERMENEUTICS OF SUSPICION. WE
CAN INSTEAD AIM
25 TOWARDS THE FLEXIBLE, CONSTRUCTIVE
AND COSMOPOLITAL
58
1 PRAGMATISM OF JAMES AND DEWEY,
ADDAMS AND KALLEN
2 AND DEBOIS.
3 NOW, IN BRINGING THESE REMARKS
TO A
4 CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO SHIFT
GEARS. AFTER
5 TALKING AT LENGTH AND IN VERY GENERAL
TERMS ABOUT
6 COSMOPOLITANISM, I WANTED TO PRESENT
A BIT OF LOCAL
7 KNOWLEDGE, AN ETHNOGRAPHY, A NARRATIVE,
CASE STUDY,
8 CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE, SOME AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
9 FRAGMENTS THAT SUGGEST AT LEAST
A FEW POSSIBLE
10 COMBINATIONS OF PRAGMATISM AND
LIBERAL EDUCATION.
11 IN HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE
CONDITION OF
12 AMERICAN LIBERAL EDUCATION, LOUIS
MENAND POINTED
13 OUT HOW THE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS
NOW
14 DEVELOPING AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL
OF AMERICAN
15 UNIVERSITIES MIGHT EVENTUALLY FILTER
INTO
16 UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, AND HE
DEVELOPED THAT IDEA
17 FURTHER IN HIS KEYNOTE ADDRESS.
18 MY OWN EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN
THAT SUCH FILTERING
19 HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME,
AND THAT IT HAS
20 LED TO AT LEAST SOME CONSCIOUS
ATTEMPTS TO ADVANCE
21 THE IDEAS OF PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL
EDUCATION
22 TOGETHER. AS AN UNDERGRADUATE
AT DARTMOUTH IN THE
23 EARLY '70S, I WROTE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
ESSAY WITH
24 SUPPORTS FROM SCHOLARS IN DEPARTMENTS
OF HISTORY,
25 GOVERNMENT, ENGLISH AND COMP, LITERATURE
AND ART ON
59
1 THE HISTORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE
2 PHILOSOPHY OF PRAGMATISM AND THE
CULTURES OF
3 MODERNISM THAT WAS EMERGING IN
EUROPE AND THE U.S.
4 AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
5 I WENT TO STANFORD FOR GRADUATE
STUDY BECAUSE
6 OF THE JOINT PROGRAM THAT STAN
MENTIONED IN HISTORY
7 AND HUMANITIES THAT ENABLED ME
TO SPEND TWO YEARS
8 READING THE GREAT BOOKS, STUDYING
LIBERAL EDUCATION
9 ALONG WITH MY DISCIPLINARY FOCUS
ON AMERICAN
10 HISTORY. IT WAS THERE THAT I FIRST
READ ELIOT AND
11 HUTCHINS AND NEWMAN UNDER THE GUIDANCE
OF WILLIAM
12 CLEBSCH, A SCHOLAR OF AMERICAN
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT
13 WHO RESPECTED JAMES, BUT WHO TRIED
TO INCULCATE IN
14 ALL OF US THE VERY OLD-FASHIONED
PRINCIPLE THAT ANY
15 BOOK WORTH READING IS WORTH READING
TWICE, A
16 PRINCIPLE TO WHICH FEW AMERICAN
HISTORIANS SEEM TO
17 SUBSCRIBE.
18 AT STANFORD, I SIMULTANEOUSLY
DEEPENED MY
19 INTEREST IN PRAGMATISM. THE FIRST
GRADUATE STUDENT
20 THAT I MET WHEN I ARRIVED THERE
WAS ROBERT
21 WESTBROOK, A FELLOW NATIVE OF COLORADO
WHO WOULD
22 ONE DAY WRITE WHAT IS NOW GENERALLY
RECOGNIZED AS
23 THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF
JOHN DEWEY'S
24 PHILOSOPHY.
25 UNLIKE LEE SHULMAN, I DID
NOT THINK OF THESE
60
1 TWO ENTERPRISES, THE STUDY OF THE
GREAT BOOKS AND
2 STUDY OF PRAGMATISM, AS INCOMPATIBLE
IN THE LEAST.
3 TO ME, THE WRITINGS OF JAMES AND
DEWEY WERE PERHAPS
4 THE GREATEST GREAT BOOKS. I WENT
FROM STANFORD TO
5 TEACH AT BRANDEIS LARGELY BECAUSE
OF THE
6 UNIVERSITY'S STRENGTH AND TRADITION
IN THE HISTORY
7 OF IDEAS AND ITS INTERDISCIPLINARY
PROGRAM IN
8 AMERICAN CIVILIZATION. MY PARALLEL
INTERESTS IN
9 PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL EDUCATION
HAVE CONTINUED TO
10 DEVELOP AS A RESULT OF ALL THAT.
11 I SERVED ON THE FACULTY COMMITTEE
THAT
12 DESIGNED OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM,
WHICH INCLUDES AN
13 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM OF CLUSTERS,
GROUPS OF
14 COURSES THAT SHARE THEMES AND TOPICS
EVEN THOUGH
15 THEY'RE OFFERED IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS
AND EVEN
16 ACROSS THIS SUPPOSEDLY UNBRIDGEABLE
GAP BETWEEN THE
17 NATURAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND
18 HUMANITIES.
19 EACH BRANDEIS STUDENT NOW
COMPLETES, IN
20 ADDITION TO A MAJOR, A SUPPLEMENTARY
CLUSTER OF
21 COURSES THAT CLARIFY THEMATIC COHERENCES
THAT
22 EMERGE FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES
AND TRADITIONS OF
23 INQUIRY. MANY OF THESE CLUSTERS
HAVE EXPERIENTIAL
24 OR SERVICE-ORIENTED COMPONENTS,
AND SOME OF THEM
25 TRY TO LINK COURSEWORK WITH THE
WORLD OF WORK
61
1 BEYOND UNIVERSITY LIFE IN JUST
THE WAY THAT LEE
2 SHULMAN AND STAN KATZ WERE RECOMMENDING.
3 I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS CHAIR
OF A BRANDEIS
4 PROGRAM OF FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS
IN HUMANISTIC
5 INQUIRY WHICH DRAWS ITS FACULTY
FROM ACROSS THE
6 UNIVERSITY. THIS PROGRAM, TOO,
TAKES FOR GRANTED
7 THAT DIFFERENT SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS
HAVE DIFFERENT
8 KINDS OF EXPERTISE AND REQUIRES
ONLY THAT THE
9 COURSES BE INTERDISCIPLINARY, BROAD-BASED
10 HISTORICALLY AND ACQUAINT STUDENTS
WITH MAJOR TEXTS
11 FROM WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND OTHER
CIVILIZATIONS
12 AS WELL.
13 THIS PROGRAM IS QUITE SELF-CONSCIOUSLY
AN
14 UPDATED VERSION OF THE OLDER IDEALS
OF LIBERAL
15 EDUCATION. IT IS ALSO PRAGMATIC,
ALTHOUGH I HAVE
16 TO ADMIT LESS SELF-CONSCIOUSLY
SO IN THE MIND OF
17 MANY OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN
IT THAN IT IS IN
18 THE MIND OF THE CURRENT CHAIR OF
THE PROGRAM.
19 ITS PRAGMATIC IN THAT IT REFLECTS
OUR
20 AWARENESS THAT THERE ARE NO FIXED,
UNCHANGING
21 ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT
CONSTITUTES A
22 DISCIPLINE, WHAT CONSTITUTES SOMETHING
THAT IS
23 BROAD-BASED HISTORICALLY AND FOCUSED
OR WHAT TEXTS
24 ARE CENTRAL TO CIVILIZATION.
25 THE PROGRAM DEPENDS ON THE
COMMUNITY OF
62
1 SCHOLARS, OF SPECIALISTS, IN THIS
CASE CONSTITUTED
2 BY THE COMMITTEE THAT OVERSEES
THE PROGRAM, TO HELP
3 INDIVIDUAL FACULTY MEMBERS FRAME
THEIR COURSES IN
4 WAYS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL;
THAT IS TO
5 SAY, THAT ARE LIKELY TO HELP STUDENTS
GET THEIR
6 RESULTS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT IN THIS
7 SEMESTER. NOT ONLY TO LEARN TO
READ AND WRITE, BUT
8 ALSO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT CENTRAL
ISSUES IN THE
9 HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND THE WORLD
THEY INHABIT.
10 SO YOU CAN SEE THAT MY ENTIRE
ACADEMIC LIFE
11 HAS ORBITED AROUND A CONSTELLATION
OF IDEAS THAT
12 CONNECTED PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL
EDUCATION, AND
13 THOSE IDEAS HAVE GUIDED MY OWN
ACTIVITIES AS A
14 SCHOLAR AND AS A TEACHER.
15 I WOULD NOT GO QUITE SO FAR
AS BRUCE KIMBALL
16 DOES IN ASSERTING THAT A CONSENSUS
IS EMERGING ON
17 THE CLOSE RELATION BETWEEN PRAGMATISM
AND LIBERAL
18 EDUCATION. SUCH A CONSENSUS DID
NOT CREATE ANY OF
19 THE PROGRAMS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE
TO PARTICIPATE IN.
20 YET NEITHER WOULD I GO SO FAR AS
MY FRIEND ROBB
21 WESTBROOK, WHO COMPLAINED IN THE
CONDITION OF
22 AMERICAN LIBERAL EDUCATION THAT
KIMBALL WAS
23 ENGAGING IN WISHFUL THINKING.
24 I WOULD ARGUE INSTEAD THAT
THE CONNECTION
25 BETWEEN PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL
EDUCATION IS NOT
63
1 ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT THAT IT MAKES
SENSE, THAT IT IS
2 CONCEPTUALLY COHERENT. I WOULD
BE WILLING TO
3 PROPOSE FOR DELIBERATION THE PROPOSITION
THAT SUCH
4 A COMBINATION, EVEN IF IT IS NOT
YET RECOGNIZED BY
5 MANY IN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION,
FOR VARIOUS
6 REASONS, SHOULD UNDERGIRD A RENEWED
COMMITMENT TO
7 LIBERAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21TH
CENTURY.
8 IN ADDITION TO ADVANCING THAT
ARGUMENT, I
9 WOULD BE WILLING TO POINT TO A
SINGLE CASE, TO MY
10 OWN LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, MY OWN LIVED
EXPERIENCE, TO
11 SUGGEST THAT A JOINT COMMITMENT
TO THE IDEALS OF
12 LIBERAL EDUCATION AND THE COMMITMENT
TO PRAGMATISM,
13 AT LEAST AS PRACTICED AT STANFORD
AND BRANDEIS, HAS
14 IN AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE SHAPED
A LIFE IN HIGHER
15 EDUCATION AND THAT THE COMBINATION
NEED NOT
16 NECESSARILY BE DANGEROUS TO ONE'S
HEALTH.
17 (Laughter)
18 I WOULD CLOSE BY RETURNING
TO THE CONCLUSION
19 OF JAMES' ESSAY, "WHAT MAKES
A LIFE SIGNIFICANT"?
20 THE SOLID MEANING OF LIFE, JAMES
WROTE, IS ALWAYS
21 THE SAME ETERNAL THING, THE MARRIAGE,
NAMELY, OF
22 SOME UNHABITUAL IDEAL HOWEVER SPECIAL
WITH SOME
23 FIDELITY, COURAGE AND ENDURANCE,
WITH SOME MAN'S OR
24 WOMAN'S PAINS. AND WHATEVER OR
WHEREVER LIFE MAY
25 BE, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THE CHANCE
FOR THAT
64
1 MARRIAGE TO TAKE PLACE.
2 WHILE I WON'T BE SO IMMODEST
AS TO CLAIM THAT
3 MY OWN COMMITMENT OF PRAGMATISM
AND LIBERAL
4 EDUCATION HAVE MADE THIS LIFE SIGNIFICANT
FROM ANY
5 PERSPECTIVE BUT MY OWN OR ABOUT
MY OWN PALPITATING
6 LITTLE LIFE THROBS, TO USE JAMES'
PHRASE, I DO
7 BELIEVE THAT COMBINING THE IDEALS
OF LIBERAL
8 EDUCATION AN COSMOPOLITAN PRAGMATISM
CAN HELP GUIDE
9 OUR EFFORTS AS ADMINISTRATORS,
AS SCHOLARS AND AS
10 TEACHERS, A KIND OF COHERENCE.
11 AS ELLEN LAGEMANN MADE CLEAR
IN HER DISCUSSION
12 OF THE BROADER TRANSFORMATION OF
THE ROLE OF
13 UNIVERSITIES IN OUR DEMOCRACY,
THAT KNOWLEDGE IS
14 NOT CERTAINLY EVERYTHING THAT WE'D
LIKE TO HOPE FOR
15 FROM PRAGMATISM AND LIBERAL EDUCATION,
BUT IT'S NOT
16 INSIGNIFICANT.
17 (Applaud)
18 MR. KATZ: WELL, I DON'T KNOW
ABOUT YOU, BUT I
19 THOUGHT THAT WE COULDN'T KEEP MOVING
FORWARD THIS
20 MORNING, AND THESE WERE TWO REALLY
WONDERFUL TALKS.
21 IT SUGGESTS ACTUALLY AN ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT
22 CONFERENCE. I THINK SOMETHING
OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN
23 HAPPENING OUT THERE IN THE WORLD
OF HIGHER
24 EDUCATION OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS
WHICH ISN'T SO
25 BAD. EVEN IN BACCALAUREATE INSTITUTIONS
LIKE
65
1 DARTMOUTH AND SMITH AND STANFORD
AND COLUMBIA.
2 WHAT DO WE DO TO PRODUCE TWO PEOPLE
LIKE THIS?
3 (Applaud)
4 WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES FOR
DISCUSSION. THE
5 FLOOR IS OPEN.
6 MS. JOAN STRAUMANIS: THANK
YOU. THIS IS VERY
7 STIMULATING, AND IT, TO ME, HAS
STIMULATED THE NEED
8 FOR SOME TESTIMONY AND TO GIVE
OUT A CHALLENGE. I
9 WANT TO PUT TOGETHER A FEW THINGS
THAT WERE SAID AT
10 THIS SESSION THAT I THINK POINTED
US IN A DIRECTION
11 OF A CHALLENGE.
12 IT WAS SAID THAT, BY ELLEN,
THAT PROGRESSIVE
13 THINKING HAS HAD LITTLE IMPACT
ON HIGHER EDUCATION,
14 OR RATHER DEWEY'S THINKING HAS
HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON
15 HIGHER EDUCATION BECAUSE HIS THINKING
WAS NOT
16 STRATEGIC. THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
17 AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A
MARGINALIZATION OF
18 PROGRESSIVE ELEMENTS IN GENERAL,
THAT TELLS US
19 SOMETHING ABOUT THE RECIPE FOR
CHANGING THAT. BUT
20 I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT SOME
OF THIS
21 IRREMEDIABLE FLATNESS THAT JAMES
WAS TALKING ABOUT
22 MIGHT CHARACTERIZE OUR MEETING
HERE. ALTHOUGH IT'S
23 BEEN VERY STIMULATING AND VERY
EXCITING, I'M NOT
24 SURE THAT WE HAVE HAD THE RADICALS
AMONG US THAT
25 WOULD REALLY TAKE US FORWARD ANOTHER
STEP THE WAY
66
1 THAT THE 1931 CONFERENCE HAD RADICALS
AMONG THEM.
2 I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
TO HAVE RADICAL
3 RHETORIC AS WELL AS RADICAL PEOPLE
AT A CONFERENCE
4 LIKE THIS, AND I THINK THAT IT'S
INDICATIVE THAT
5 ELLEN MAY BE WRONG; THAT WE HAVE
HEARD QUITE
6 RADICAL STATEMENTS MADE THAT HAVEN'T
SOUNDED VERY
7 FAR OUT AT ALL.
8 AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS
THAT MUCH OF THIS
9 RHETORIC HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AT
LEAST IN PRINCIPLE.
10 THERE IS NO CORNER OF THIS COUNTRY
WHERE PEOPLE
11 DON'T TALK ABOUT INTERNSHIPS AND
CO-OP PROGRAMS,
12 WHERE PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING
13 AND SERVICE LEARNING. THEY MAY
NOT BE DOING IT,
14 BUT THIS TALK IS NO LONGER RADICAL.
15 SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO TO
TESTIFY A LITTLE BIT
16 AND TO SAY THAT I WISH WE HAD AT
THIS CONFERENCE
17 THE KIND OF VOICES THAT, FOR EXAMPLE,
WERE
18 REPRESENTED BY ARTHUR MORGAN IN
1931. ARTHUR
19 MORGAN, AN ENGINEER, IS REALLY
THE PERSON WHO HAS
20 GIVEN US THE CONCEPT THAT COOPERATIVE
EDUCATION,
21 THAT LIFE EXPERIENCE BELONGS IN
A LIBERAL EDUCATION
22 AND NOT JUST IN A VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
23 THAT'S HIS RHETORIC, AND IT'S
RHETORIC THAT WE
24 HAVE BELIEVED IN, ALL OF US, FOR
ALL THESE YEARS,
25 AND IT'S A DIRECT LINEAGE TO ARTHUR
MORGAN, THE
67
1 PRESIDENT OF ANTIOCH AT THE TIME.
AS I SAID, HE'S
2 AN ENGINEER, AND HE INVENTED THAT
IDEA ALONG WITH
3 HIS FRIEND, CHARLES KETTERING,
ANOTHER OHIOAN.
4 I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE
WERE NO PEOPLE
5 FROM ANTIOCH AT THIS CONFERENCE,
BECAUSE ALTHOUGH
6 MANY PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THEY'RE
CRAZY OVER THERE, I
7 CAN TELL YOU AS AN ALUMNI THAT
THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN,
8 AND THAT IT'S BEEN GOOD FOR US
IN HIGHER EDUCATION
9 TO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF VOICES IN
OUR MIDST.
10 MS. BORNSTEIN: THEY WERE
INVITED.
11 MS. JOAN STRAUMANIS: I'M
GLAD THEY WERE
12 INVITED. I WISH THEY HAD BEEN
DRAGGED IN. ANYWAY,
13 YOU GOT ME. LET ME SAY -- LET
ME SAY THAT ALTHOUGH
14 MY FIELD IS PHILOSOPHY, YOU LIVE
LONG ENOUGH, YOU
15 BECOME A HISTORIAN. AND I WAS
TOLD BY GEORGE
16 GREIGER (PH), A PHILOSOPHER AT
ANTIOCH WHO LAST I
17 CHECKED IS STILL WALKING THE EARTH,
THAT HE WAS
18 ADVISED BY DEWEY THAT HE NEEDS
-- WHEN HE WAS A
19 YOUNG FACULTY MEMBER AT BRADLEY
UNIVERSITY IN
20 PEORIA, THAT HE REALLY NEEDED TO
TEACH AT A
21 PROGRESSIVE COLLEGE, SO HE INTERVIEWED
AT BOTH
22 ROLLINS AND ANTIOCH, AND TOOK UP
A JOB AT ANTIOCH
23 AFTER WHAT HE TOLD ME WAS AN INTERVIEW
WITH
24 HAMILTON HOLT, ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS
IN THE
25 ROLLINS CONFERENCE IN 1931, IN
FACT, THE HOST OF
68
1 THE ROLLINS CONFERENCE, PRESIDENT
OF ROLLINS AT THE
2 TIME.
3 AND WHAT GEORGE GREIGER SAID
TO ME WAS THAT
4 OLD BUCCANEER, HE SAID, HE'S NO
PROGRESSIVE, HE'S A
5 TYRANT, AND I WOULDN'T WORK FOR
HIM. SO THIS IS
6 JUST A LITTLE BIT OF REALITY CHECK
HERE. AND THEN
7 HE WENT TO WORK FOR ARTHUR MORGAN
AT ANTIOCH.
8 THE CHALLENGE THAT I WANT
TO ISSUE IS THAT
9 I'VE HEARD A LOT AT THIS CONFERENCE,
AND I WAS
10 GUILTY OF THIS MYSELF FOR YEARS
AND YEARS, OF
11 SAYING THAT LIBERAL EDUCATION HAS
ITS UNIQUE HOME
12 SOMEHOW IN THE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE;
THAT THE
13 LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IS SPECIAL,
UNIQUE, DIFFERENT,
14 AND NOW I'M NOT AT A LIBERAL ARTS
COLLEGE. I'M AT
15 A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY. I HAVE
CHANGED LOYALTY.
16 AND I WANT TO SAY YOU ARE
NOT UNIQUE. THESE
17 THINGS ARE GOING ON IN ALL OF THESE
PLACES. THE
18 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT AS
UNIFOCAL, ARE NOT
19 AS CLEAR IN THEIR CONSERVATIVE
ROLES AS PEOPLE HAVE
20 ACCUSED THEM OF BEING, AND IN FACT,
ALL OF THE
21 THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT, THE
22 COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION, THE EXPERIENTIAL
23 EDUCATION, THEY'RE GOING ON IN
ALL OF THESE
24 UNIVERSITIES.
25 THE PROGRESSIVE IDEAS HAVE
TAKEN HOLD. IF
69
1 YOU'RE NOT SEEING THEM, YOU'RE
NOT LOOKING. WHEN I
2 WAS AT PHIPSEE (PH) AS A PROGRAM
OFFICER, THE MOST
3 RADICAL PROPOSALS WE GOT WERE NOT
FROM THE LIBERAL
4 ARTS COLLEGES. THEY WERE FROM
STATE COLLEGES AND
5 UNIVERSITIES WHERE LONE RANGERS
WERE TRYING TO
6 CHANGE THEIR ENVIRONMENTS, AND
VERY OFTEN DID.
7 SO MY FINAL WISH IS THAT,
THAT PEOPLE AT THE
8 LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES STOP BELIEVING
THAT THEY'RE
9 UNIQUE BUT BEGIN TO BECOME SO AND
LEAD US TO A NEW
10 RADICALISM THAT WILL TAKE US TO
THE NEXT STAGE OF
11 STRATEGIC CHANGE THAT WILL REALLY
TRANSFORM HIGHER
12 EDUCATION.
13 MR. KATZ: THANK YOU. YES,
MICHELLE.
14 MS. MICHELE MYERS: MICHELE
MYERS FROM DENISON
24 WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, AND
I KNOW WE CAN'T
25 LOAD EVERYTHING INTO ONE CONFERENCE
IN HERE FOR
70
1 THESE FEW DAYS, WHICH HAVE BEEN
ABSOLUTELY
2 WONDERFUL AND STIMULATING. WE
HAVE TALKED ABOUT
3 HABITS OF THE MIND OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, AND THAT
4 WAS FITTING. AND THE TACK WE TOOK
TO DO IT WAS
5 VERY APPROPRIATE AND VERY INTERESTING.
6 WHAT I'M MISSING, AND I HOPE
PERHAPS WE HAVE
7 AN ADDITIONAL CONFERENCE, IS WE
ALSO TALK ABOUT OUR
8 INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY THE
SMALL LIBERAL ARTS
9 COLLEGES, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY
ANY MEANS; WE TALK
10 ABOUT EDUCATING FOR CHARACTER OR
CITIZENSHIP OR
11 GOOD CHARACTER IS ANOTHER WORD
IN OUR MISSION
12 STATEMENT, AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
TO KNOW HOW ONE
13 MIGHT DO THAT. PERHAPS SERVICE
LEARNING IS ONE
14 WAY, BUT YOU CAN'T LOAD EVERYTHING
ONTO THAT
15 EITHER.
16 AND I WORRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE
I ALWAYS THINK
17 ABOUT -- AND THE POINT WAS MADE
YESTERDAY BY
18 SOMEONE THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
GERMANY IN THE
19 30S AND CERTAINLY THE 40S, WE HAD
ALL THESE
20 WONDERFULLY WELL LITERATE AND EDUCATED
PEOPLE WHO
21 SENT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO GAS
CHAMBERS TO THE
22 MUSIC OF MOZART AND BEETHOVAN AND,
YOU KNOW, THERE
23 IS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT THAT LEAVES
YOU WONDERING
24 WHAT WAS MISSING IN THAT EDUCATION
THAT COULD
25 PRODUCE SUCH PEOPLE.
71
1 AND WHAT IS MISSING IN OUR
EDUCATION IS THAT
2 WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE CERTAINLY
VERY BRIGHT
3 AND EDUCATED WHO BELIEVED IN SLAVERY;
CERTAINLY
4 BRIGHT AND EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO
BELIEVED THAT
5 CIVILIZATION RIGHTS -- THAT THERE
WASN'T A RIGHT
6 TIME. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW
ALL THIS.
7 SO I WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF
THINK THROUGH WHAT
8 MIGHT BE A FOLLOW-UP TO A CONFERENCE
LIKE THIS,
9 PERHAPS HAVING TO DO WITH PRAGMATISM.
I MEAN, IT
10 SEEMS TO ME TO MAKE A LOT OF SINCE,
BUT WE NEED TO
11 GO FURTHER AND REALLY ASK OURSELVES
THESE TOUGH
12 QUESTIONS. IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO
EDUCATE THE MIND,
13 AND WE CAN CERTAINLY AGREE AND
DISAGREE THERE ARE
14 MANY WAYS TO DO IT, AND IT'S ALL
GOOD, BUT WHAT
15 ABOUT THE REST OF IT, AND WHAT
DO WE DO?
16 MR. STANLEY KATZ: THANK YOU.
THERE IS A
17 QUESTION IN THE BACK, THE STRIPED
SHIRT.
18 MR. LARRY SHINN: LARRY SHINN
FROM BEREA
19 COLLEGE. I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT
THEN ASK A
20 QUESTION OF OUR TWO PANELISTS TODAY.
IT REALLY
21 BUILDS UPON THE TWO COMMENTS JUST
MADE. MY
22 OBSERVATION IS THAT THERE IS A
LOT OF
23 MARGINALIZATION THAT'S REPRESENTED
IN THIS
24 CONFERENCE, THE EXTENT TO WHICH
WE UNDERSTAND THAT
25 NOT ONLY HAVE WE DEMONIZED EDUCATION
IN TERMS OF
72
1 THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO
COME FROM HIGH
2 SCHOOL TO COLLEGE, FROM ROUGHLY
20 PERCENT TO 50
3 PERCENT IN THE LAST 40 TO 50 YEARS,
BUT WHERE THOSE
4 STUDENTS GO TO COLLEGE AS UNDERGRADUATES
HAS ALSO
5 CHANGED SUCH THAT THE PRIVATE COLLEGES,
MANY WHOM
6 ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, INDICATED
APPROXIMATELY
7 50 PERCENT OF THOSE STUDENTS IN
ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO,
8 BUT TODAY WE EDUCATE ONLY ABOUT
20 PERCENT.
9 NOW THE IMPLICATION ALSO OF
THE FACT THAT OUR
10 PANELISTS WHO CAN TEACH US MUCH
ABOUT LIBERAL
11 EDUCATION ARE THEMSELVES IN RESEARCH
UNIVERSITIES
12 AND ARE NOT COMING FROM LIBERAL
ARTS COLLEGES ALSO
13 SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE EXTENT
TO WHICH WE HAVE
14 MARGINALIZED THE THINKING ABOUT
LIBERAL ARTS
15 COLLEGES, AT LEAST THE PUBLIC SHARES
IN THE WIDER
16 FORUM IN THE UNIVERSITIES, BUT
UNLIKE THE COMMENTS
17 MADE BY MY COLLEAGUE FROM MY DAYS
AT LEHIGH, I
18 DON'T AGREE THAT THE UNIVERSITIES
ARE DOING SO WELL
19 WITH THAT 80 PERCENT OF THE UNDERGRADUATE
20 POPULATION THEY'RE EDUCATING IN
AMERICA TODAY.
21 ONCE YOU MOVE BEYOND THE SPECIAL
EXPECTATIONS
22 OF A BRANDEIS OR LEHIGH OR SOME
OF THE VERY BEST
23 SCHOOLS THAT HAVE PROVIDED FOR
UNDERGRADUATES A
24 SPECIAL -- IN A STATE UNIVERSITY
OR PUBLIC
25 UNIVERSITIES, AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION.
WHAT I SEE
73
1 IN THE KENTUCKY WHERE I LIVE, THE
PENNSYLVANIA
2 WHERE I LIVE, MOST OF THOSE UNDERGRADUATES
ARE
3 GOING TO SCHOOLS WHERE THE FACULTY
ARE TEACHING
4 TEACHERS OF LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
IN OTHER
5 UNIVERSITIES BUT NOT PAYING ATTENTION
TO THE
6 LIBERAL EDUCATION THAT IN FACT
WE'VE ESPOUSED HERE
7 TODAY, AND THEY ARE THE REAL GUARANTORS
OF THE
8 FUTURE OF LIBERAL LEARNING THAT
WE'VE ALL BEEN
9 TALKING ABOUT.
10 NOW, I'VE GIVEN THIS LONG
PROLOGUE TO SAY IT
11 SEEMS TO ME WE HAVE SEVERAL GAPS
THAT WE HAVE TO
12 OVERCOME. I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR
HISTORIANS TO THINK
13 A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE GAPS.
WHAT DO THESE
14 STATISTICS I JUST MENTIONED, WHICH
ARE ROUGHLY
15 ACCURATE -- THERE ARE WONDERFUL
EXCEPTIONS TO WHAT
16 I'VE GIVEN -- BUT WHAT DO THESE
SUGGEST ABOUT THE
17 GAP IN THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN
A GROUP LIKE THIS
18 AND THE FACULTY WHO ARE TEACHING
80 PERCENT OF THE
19 STUDENTS GOING TO PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
IN AMERICA
20 TODAY?
21 THAT IS, HOW DOES ONE BRIDGE
THE GAP BETWEEN
22 THE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE AND THOSE
WHO SHOULD BE
23 THINKING ABOUT LIBERAL LEARNING
IN UNIVERSITIES WHO
24 ARE SPECIALISTS, OR IN MANY CASES,
GRADUATE
25 STUDENTS WHO ARE TEACHING AND GOING
TO THEM AND
74
1 FOLLOW THEIR MEMBERS IN TERMS OF
SPECIALIZATION?
2 THAT'S ONE GAP I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
3 THE SECOND GAP IS HOW MUCH
DO THOSE OF YOU WHO
4 WORK IN THE UNIVERSITIES, I'M THINKING
ABOUT BRUCE
5 WHILSHIRE'S ARTICLE OR BOOK RIGHT
NOW WHO SAYS THAT
6 WE'RE NOT DOING VERY WELL, IT'S
THAT KIND OF
7 CONCERN THAT I HAVE. HOW CAN ONE
BRIDGE THE GAP
8 BETWEEN WHAT SOME OF YOU WHO ARE
DEEPLY ENGAGED,
9 LEE SHULMAN I'VE HEARD SPEAK FOR
YEARS AND HAVE
10 THOUGHT WONDERFULLY APPROPRIATE
IN CHALLENGING US
11 TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE TEACH IN
PEDAGOGY, BUT I ASK
12 THE QUESTION HOW MANY AS STANFORD
HAVE ADOPTED
13 LEE'S IDEAS.
14 HOW MUCH HAS BRANDEIS ADOPTED
MANY OF JAMES'
15 IDEAS, ET CETERA? IN OTHER WORDS,
HOW DO YOU
16 BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THOSE WITHIN
THE UNIVERSITY
17 WHO ARE TEACHING MANY OF US BEYOND
THAT UNIVERSITY
18 ABOUT LIBERAL EDUCATION, AND THEIR
OWN COLLEAGUES
19 WITHIN THAT UNIVERSITY THEY'RE
EDUCATING 80
20 PERCENT. SO IT'S REALLY TWO GAPS
THAT I'M CURIOUS
21 ABOUT WHICH, OF COURSE, WOULD LEAD
TO A CONFERENCE
22 BUILDING UP ON THIS ONE THAT INVITED
SOME OF THOSE
23 FOLKS HERE AS WELL.
24 MR. STANLEY KATZ: THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. WE'RE
25 OUT OF TIME NOW, SO IT'S A PERFECT
LEAD-IN TO ALLOW
75
1 EACH OF THE TWO SPEAKERS HAVE A
RESPONSE AND
2 UNFORTUNATELY WE'LL HAVE TO CLOSE
THE SESSION.
3 PROFESSOR LAGEMANN: I THINK
I WOULD SAY THREE
4 THINGS IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE
5 HOW DIRECTLY THEY WILL ANSWER YOUR
QUESTION. I
6 THINK THERE ARE EFFORTS AFOOT --
AND THEY NEED TO
7 BE ENCOURAGED, THEY'RE NOT STRONG
ENOUGH YET -- BUT
8 TO INCLUDE AN EDUCATION ABOUT EDUCATION
IN THE
9 EDUCATION OF OLD GRADUATE STUDENTS.
BECAUSE IF IN
10 FACT, THE GRADUATE STUDENTS WE
HAVE TEACHING NOW IN
11 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT TAUGHT
ABOUT
12 TEACHING, ABOUT LIBERAL EDUCATION,
AND THEY'RE ONLY
13 IMMERSED IN THEIR DISCIPLINES,
THEY DON'T KNOW VERY
14 MUCH WHEN THEY GET OUT OF THEIR
AREA TO TEACH.
15 THE SECOND POINT I WOULD MAKE,
AND I'M SURE
16 THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO KNOW MORE
ABOUT IT THAN I DO,
17 BUT MORE AND MORE UNIVERSITIES
ARE DEVELOPING
18 TEACHING CENTERS, A LA, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE BOX CENTER
19 AT HARVARD. I KNOW AS A NEW FACULTY
MEMBER AT NYU
20 THE FIRST PIECE OF MAIL I GOT WAS
FROM A TEACHING
21 COMMISSION INVITING ME TO A LUNCH
AND SO ON, AND IT
22 WAS A VERY, VERY ACTIVE PROGRAM
ABOUT TEACHING
23 THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY. AND
I THINK THERE NEEDS
24 TO BE MORE AND MORE OF THAT.
25 ANOTHER POINT I WOULD MAKE,
AND I'M NOT SURE
76
1 THAT THIS SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO YOUR
QUESTION, BUT I
2 THINK TO THINK OF LIBERAL EDUCATION
AND KIND OF
3 EQUATE IT TO A LIBERAL COLLEGE
IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE
4 EQUATING EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING.
I MEAN, THE
5 REALITY IS ONE OF THE ISSUES ABOUT
LIBERAL
6 EDUCATION THAT IS TREMENDOUSLY
IMPORTANT IS WHAT'S
7 GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
WHERE SO MANY OF
8 THE INCREASING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS
WHO ARE GOING
9 THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION ARE, AND
WHAT ARE WE DOING
10 TO HELP PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
THINK ABOUT
11 MANY OF THEIR VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS,
FOR EXAMPLE, IN
12 WAYS THAT COULD COMBINE LIBERAL
EDUCATION? WHAT
13 ARE WE DOING TO HELP INSTITUTIONS
THAT SURROUND
14 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PICK
UP THEIR
15 RESPONSIBILITIES TO CONTINUE THE
LIBERAL EDUCATION
16 OF PEOPLE AFTER THEY LEAVE SCHOOL?
17 TOO FEW PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITY
COLLEGES
18 TRANSFER AND MOVE ON THROUGH THE
HIGHER EDUCATION
19 SYSTEM, AT LEAST RIGHT AWAY. BUT
THAT DOESN'T MEAN
20 THAT THEIR LIBERAL EDUCATION HAS
TO COME TO AN END.
21 SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WOULD BE
22 INTERESTING WOULD BE TO FIND WAYS
TO THINK ABOUT
23 THIS ISSUE OF LIBERAL EDUCATION
IN A MUCH BROADER
24 ECOLOGY OF INSTITUTIONS.
25 ASSOCIATE PROF. KLOPPENBERG:
THREE QUICK
77
1 POINTS. THE FIRST IS SOMETHING
I'VE BEEN TEMPTED
2 TO SAY SEVERAL TIMES WITH RESISTANCE
BECAUSE I KNEW
3 I'D HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK HERE
AT THE END; THAT
4 IS, TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE
OF DIVERSITY IN
5 AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION. IT
SEEMS TO ME
6 OCCASIONALLY THERE IS A SENSE THAT
WE SHOULD TRY TO
7 FIND A SINGLE SOLUTION TO ALL OF
THESE PROBLEMS.
8 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROLIFERATION
OF
9 DIFFERENT WAYS OF COPING WITH THESE
PROBLEMS IS THE
10 BEST WE CAN DO PRAGMATICALLY SPEAKING.
LET A
11 THOUSAND DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BLOOM
AND SEE WHAT
12 HAPPENS, SEE WHICH ONES ARE MOST
SUCCESSFUL, I
13 THINK THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO.
14 IN TERMS OF HOW WE BRIDGE
THE GAP WITH OTHER
15 KINDS OF UNIVERSITIES, IT DOES
SEEM TO ME THAT
16 WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUNDATION
PEOPLE HERE
17 BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM TO ME THAT
ONE REQUIRES SEED
18 MONEY TO GET THIS KIND OF THING
GOING IN
19 INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE EVEN MORE
FINANCIALLY
20 STRAPPED THAN MANY OF THE LIBERAL
ARTS COLLEGES
21 THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE. THAT
SORT OF INITIATIVE
22 NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. IT NEEDS
TO HAVE SOME
23 MOMENTUM. AND MOST OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS
DON'T
24 FEEL THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY
TO DO THAT.
25 HOW DO WE GET OTHER FACULTY
INVOLVED? IT
78
1 SEEMS TO ME ONE BY ONE. I WOULD
SIMPLY UNDERSCORE
2 WHAT ELLEN SAID BOTH ABOUT TRAINING
THE NEXT
3 GENERATION OF FACULTY, AND THIS,
TOO, IS SOMETHING
4 THAT TAKES TIME AND MONEY AS IT'S
DONE AT HARVARD
5 AND STANFORD AND SOME OF THE OTHER
WEALTHIER
6 INSTITUTIONS. IT REQUIRES A COMMITMENT
OF
7 RESOURCES. THE SAME THING IS TRUE
IN MAKING THESE
8 TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING AVAILABLE,
ACCESSIBLE TO
9 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY.
10 WE HAVE TO REWARD TEACHING.
MOST OF OUR
11 INSTITUTIONS, WHETHER LIBERAL ARTS
COLLEGES OR
12 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES, DO NOT PLACE
AS MUCH
13 EMPHASIS ON TEACHING AS I THINK
WE SHOULD. AND
14 THAT'S NOT INEVITABLE, THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT CAN
15 BE CHANGED AND WE HAVE SOME OF
THE PEOPLE HERE WHO
16 CAN BEGIN TO APPLY THE LEVERAGE
TO MAKE IT CHANGE.
17 FINALLY, IN ANSWER TO THE
QUESTION ABOUT
18 CHARACTER AND HOW WE CAN AVOID
THE WEIMAR
19 CATASTROPHY IS THAT ONE TEACHES
THE WEIMAR
20 CATASTROPHY, AND THAT'S HOW ONE
HELPS STUDENTS
21 ENCOUNTER IT AND COME TO UNDERSTAND
IT, BUT I WOULD
22 SAY THAT THE RESPONSE TO THAT IS
TO TEACH THE MOST
23 RADICAL IDEA I KNOW IN AMERICA,
AND THAT IS THE
24 IDEA OF DEMOCRACY.
25 I SIMPLY DISAGREE THAT WE
HAVEN'T HEARD
79
1 RADICAL IDEAS HERE. I DON'T KNOW
OF A MORE RADICAL
2 IDEA THAN THE EGALITARIAN CREED
OF DEMOCRACY. IF
3 WE TRANSLATE THAT INTO OUR INDIVIDUAL
CLASSES NOT
4 THROUGH NEW PROGRAMS, BUT BY THE
WAY WE TEACH IN
5 OUR CLASSROOMS WE COULD DO TO INNOVATE
THAT
6 SENSIBILITY THAN THROUGH ANYTHING
ELSE WE CAN DO.
7 (Applaud)
8 MR. STANLEY KATZ: I'LL CONCLUDE
BY SAYING
9 THAT I THINK JOHN DEWEY WOULD HAVE
LIKED THIS
10 SESSION.
11 (Applaud)
12 (The proceedings were adjourned
at 10:45 a.m.)
13
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17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25