The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-09
UNIVERSITY DEGREES
Reasonssfor the Proposed Change as. to Latin and
the Objections Urged
Thereto.

nc
In discussing the proposed changes
In the requirements fot tho b. A, ana
NJ. a. degrees ut tho University Of viz
ginin, Professor II. II. Dabney mnlsos
tho following argument IN the Alumni
Bulletin:
"Evidently, then, the general char.
actert or tho degree, both as to the
nnturo and tho amount Of work re.
quired Is substantially unchanged.
Yet tho particular changes made arc
by no means insignificant. Ultra-
conservatives, indeed, Will considers
scnG OF them radical. But ultra
conservatives In education, like ultra
conservatives III everything else, con-
slider all changes radical. Tho faculty
would like to plenso evcrybody-ultra-
conservatives. violent radicals, and
moderately progressive peoplo--if that
wcro possible, Sinco, however, It IL
not possible, O. choice must BE made;
and the faculty arc resolved to act
upon the maxim fcstinn 1ente They
positively refuse to lot tho university
stand stock still and develop dry-rot
| IN order to sootho the feelings OF those
who imnginc that tho letters b. A.
must OF necessity bctoken exactly the
Same educational content yesterday,
to-day and forever. With equal firm-
moss they refuse to rush blindly over
q preciplce merely to please those who
| think that the letters 3. A. need hnvo
no meaning at oil. and that the degree
should be awarded to any one who
performs certain quantity OF work
IN n hodge podge OF subjects selected
ut random.
Midway between thcse extremists,
1 the faculty hold that, Just as human
su.icty Is on evor-chnnging over-de-
yeloping organism. 80 tho education
which Is to 1T the Individual for his
i litcias q member OF this society should
be gradually and steadily modified in
accordance with the dev4opuent OF
society itself. Society is not IN un-
1 changing abstraction. but o mutnble,
4 concrete mass OF individuals, held to-
gether by tho firm, yet evcr- changing
bonds OF language, literature, art, re-
4 ligioh, politics. business, pleasure, etc
4 Nor ~ education an immutable thing
4 Education must tit man for whole
4 some pctivty as member OF the con-
c'ete society In q given country ut a
given time. Else education Is fall
ure. A ran equipped with the best
modern education would have been
burnt at the stake In the middle ages
/ had he dared reveal his thoughts. A
man with the best medieval education
I would be dazed, blinded, and bewilde-.
y cd could he rise from tho dead and
stop suddenly into the vivid light Of
modern civilization.
Now. the B.. A. degree Is merely 8
: label which indicates, or should In
!, sicate. that the recipient Is man witt
q mind we'll disciplined and we'll
equipped with broad, general knowl
edge OF reasonable number OF those
, subjects regarded rs tho most I'm
: portant by leaders OF educationa
, thought In his own day and genera
ton. In the middle ages, FOR example
Z man was considered well educated
: when 11et Had studied tie 'triyium,
. consisting OF grammar, rhetoric AM
+ d,nlectics and the .quadrivium, con
sisting OF arithmetic, geometry, as
Q tronomy and music. AS matter o
p course. Latin was studied by Gil, TO
: the ample reason that Latin was tn
medium through which instruction j.
everything else was given. Tha
: function OF Latin Is now Como forever
z zach modern people making uso Of 1t
4 own Language instead; and In Pro
: testant countries Its ecclesiastica
y function has gone also. When tn
a scholars Of the Renaissance insiste
upon studying the Bible IN the origina
!. Hebrew and GreeA, ultra-conscryatiye
. cried out that tho Sacred Latin Vul
!. gate was being cruclfied between tw
n thieves. &c. too, when Christia
= Thomaslus dared to lecture in Germa
y to German students at the Uniycrsit
& OF Leipzig in 1893, he was driven ava
= amid the tolling OF bells. Then he wa
l. regarded as a dangerous radical. b
Il would the yeriest old fogy dream t
10 day OF seriously proposing the resumr
70 ton OF Latin as tho medium OF II
IS struction in all other subjects?
=. y. ".As the key to the great lteratul
= OF the most intellectually brilliant
all peoples, Greek Is undoubtedly g,
rerior to Latin. Yet, as 1t has new,
n teen tho medium Of instruction !
10 other things 1t has not occupied qui
i. tho Same supreme position in educt
" tional curricula- In medieval tim'
40 It was known in Western Europe
1a only a few scattered individuals; an
i, although 1t so fascinated the men
D. the Renaissance that Erasmus, for G:
ample, advised scholars to sell Il
coats OF their backs in. ord Ter to ID,
q Greek books. 1t Is no longer regard
r. as q necessary requirement for tt
=, ~ baccnlaureate- degree ut the great m
~ tority OF the leading American unlve
st sitOs. 's#...5.
IL '"rhe Renaissance. indeed, and t
he succeeding centuries have done the
he work so thoroughly that the spirit
ne Greece and Rome has permeated Z
y, art, the literature, and the philosopl
.ol OF modern nations. and has done SO
at such an extent that O man, though
at norant OF tho Creek alphabet and
Dr. able to translate sentence OF Caesal
ny Commentaries. cannot possibly esca
no tho cultural Influence OF antlqulty
= and uteratures OF England. France a
~ Germany In tho days OF Erasn1,
J Greek was tho only road to Cree
:. To-day that wonderful land may
reached BY many roads; and VIII
Greek Itself will always be the me
direct. vet the traveller who takes t
more c,rcuitous route will Incidental
learn a good deal Of interest and val