New-York tribune., 1906-05-05

svo. pp. xviii. 45i. Charles scribner's sons -s
Thoroughness is the first characteristic that we
look for in any work Of German scholarship,
the spontaneous tribute that we pay TO the
character of the German educational system
as carried 20 it's highest terms in the conduct
OF the German universities. no disappoint-
ment in this particular awaits those who seek
fuller knowledge Of the nature the methods
and the life Of these universities in Professor
Paulsens exhaustive treatise. In the case OF
Professor Paulsen. however, his thoroughness is
so informed with the spirit of the philosopher
and OF the poet. as well as with that Of the
educator. that more than ordinary pleasure
rewards the reader of his volume AS Is nat
uraly 70 be expected. the author is intensely
loyal TO the institutions of which he writes, and
with more than one Of which he has been closely
and prominently associated; but his enthu-
slasm Is wisely tempered with candor. and his
partisanship with a broad catholicity. True
to his principles, he does forget be analyt-
cal and critical well as historical and de-
scriptive; and If we may not always agree with
him in condoning the faults that he detects or
in complacently admitting their practical in
evitability, or in approving the remedies he sug-
gests. we at least cannot accuse him Of blinking
them
The book is, accordingly not only instructive
and readable but full OF suggestion to all those,
OF whatever nationality. who are interested In
I the subject Of higher education and In the de-
velopment OF the scientific spirit To Amer
leans. especially, the volume comes with
particular appeal Educational matters IN this
country are still in the formative period and a
few only Of our larger universities have achieved
something OF the inner freedom that character
ICES the higher institutions OF learning in milf
tary Germany. 1t is from Germany that the in
spiration Of this freedom and the incentive TO
original investigation and research have come.
and never Before has there been available by
American Cor, for that matter, by German)
educators so adequate presentation Of the
nature. organization, legal status, functions
demands and historical development OF the
German university system
IL is the intimate union Of investigation and
instruction that gives the German university
ats peculiar character. ''The important thing
is not the students preparation for a prac-
tcal calling, but his introduction into scientific
knowledge and research" II is taken for
granted that all university professors are in
vestigators and scholars, and that all investi-
gators ana scholars are teachers In universities
Whenever the name Of a scholar Is men
toned in Germany writes Professor Paulsen,
THE question Is at once asked, With what uni
versity is he connected? And in case he does
not occupy a chair in such an institution il
this fact as a slight These conditions have
necessarily important bearing on the In
tellectual life of the country
axes the German n schoaT paee m IN gc9fms fs he &teachsr @
people. Our thinkers and Investigators not only
whom we meet face 10 facs Men Ike FeSts
fSei Times Aegga ana influenced
influence as authors was not so very great
he sy6 of bsr sdtSres sf Sr
sn s % se sTe RE fsF paR Kant snd Chris
were, were the P5ilolSsists Heyne. p A. Wolff. g. Her
felt especially through their personal activity as
teachers; and their pupils, who became teachers
ing. dffgsed the spirit and method Of these men
said that if the contributions Of the MniyeTstY pro %
fessors were expunged from the history Of Ger
man man learning the residue would not be very large.
ea f of t bs ssG our ea aR
cant witness, for example. the names ~ Psgan Tn
dorf and Thomasius, Savigny and Feuorbach, Me
the fact that both Luther and lMelanchthon were
university professors!
The author admits that one result of this
monopoly Of learning so to speak by the uni
versities gives rise 10 "a tendency to literary
overproduction to scholasticism, to clannish-
ness and to a contempt for those who are out
side of the charmed circle: but he finds a cor
rective to this tendency in the growing CONNER
cial activity Of the nation, which provides other
paths to distinction for men of talent in par
lament. in business and in colonial administra-
ton, so that "in the new empire the univer-
stiles can no longer be the actual centres of the
national life as they were in the days OF the old
Bundestag." 1t is a curious fact that the
internal freedom OF the German university,
which is largely development OF the nineteenth
century, has been coincident with an increasing
state supervision; appropriations have increased
enormously, and the professors have been placed
equal footing with the state officials as
regards their rights and duties. It is this very
recognition of the faculties as officers Of the
state that has, in fact, secured for the univers-
ties an absence of bureaucratic control such as
exists in France to-day, and tends to hamper
the independence of some of our own state uni
versities. While France says Dr. Paulsen. re
duced her universities to professional schools,
Germany made her universities the embodiment
of an independent scientific life. with the hope
that an unfettered service of truth would not
only be compatible with the interests Of the
state. but indissolubly linked with them" He
says further:
The principle of the freedom of learning and
teaching. formulated in paragraph 20 of the Prus-
sian constitution, may really be described as one of
tSe ss Of Of GF % dw t mo T9s
fearessly it accepted this principle, and we may
regard the independence Of the universities a
| bility. 40
The extent to which this freedom of learning
and teaching is carried Is indicated by the fact
that when professor has once been appointed
he is absolutely unrestricted as to the subjects
within the scope of his department. which he
may choose to teach. and suits his own conven-
ience as to the number and hours of his lectures.
provided only that he delivers one public and
one private course each semester. The student
is sir rlV nnF ted tn he Ra