The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-19
Future of Our Liberal
Colleges After the War
They Must Be Made Liberal Again-Most Urgent Task
Is to Keep Clear Fact That Fundamental Intelligence
Is Essential to Life, Even Though Not APP
piled by It's Makers to Specific Issues


the choice of subjects of study. What.
do men need to think about in order
to be liberal? About what should
they be studying? What is the proper
content OF a college course?
A very real difficulty at this point is
that while our answer must be definite
and clear 1t cannot be precise. All
precise answers to that set of ques-
tons are obviously false; they are
little more than the unintentionh de-
scrlptions of the mental limitations
OF the men who give them. Educa-
tional "specifics' have the value which
one would expect to find in the pre-
scription of mental quacks. The val
ues are highly esteemed by the vic
tins.
Liberal education is. of course, a
study Of human living. 1t tries to un-
derstand what the life of a man is
and Whist the life OF men in groups,
even up to the total universe which
includes them all within itself. To
create this understanding three studies
must be made, (D what Is the world
in which mans life is carried on, (2)
what are the values and interests
which are the staff of living. (3) how
in this actual world can those values
be realized, those interests be fur
thered? To the answering of these
questions all studies must make their
contributions. Science and philosophy
must tell US what the world is and
what men are. Literature and the
arts must show the things worth striv-
ing for in life. History and the other
social sciences must record and ana
lyze the ways and means, the instru-
ments and institutions through which
the race has striven toward its ends
Each subject plays its part, but all
alike are useful to one purpose, in
seeking to discover what men are and
what they may become in such a world
rs this in which we find ourselves
1t may, think, be taken for
granted that we do not know in any
adequate degree the answers to the
questions just propounded. We do not
know the answer when all the sep
arate questions are brought together
in single query; nor do we know the
separate answers when the various
questions fall apart. No better evil
dence of this is needed than that of
the war experience from which We are
emerging. We know some things, es-
sential things. in vague and unclear
outline. We know enough to justify
our going into war; we saw enough
of good and evil, of right and
wrong to make us sure that we must
take a side and spend our youth to
win the victory. And yet It was a
sketchy outline that we had in mind
We did not know the map of Europe;
we did not know the history of France,
or Germany, or England. or even of
America. We did not know the play
Of economic forces running through
the lives OF men; we did not know the
moral interests, the racial codes, the
local prejudices by which the groups
Of men differ from each other. We
did not know the thoughts of other
men and peoples, their thoughts of us,
OF other people and about the world
We entered the war with hearts Of
steel and minds of feathers. And we
came out of 1t triumphant but con-
fused with scattering wits. We do not
know just what we have done nor
must say, whatever side he takes on
present issues, that as a group our
chosen public leaders know less than
those whom they profess to lead.
And what is true in politics and war
is true in every other field of human
thought and action. I do not claim
to say which group is right, conserva-
tive or liberal, standpatter or radical,
but / do know that the discussion
which they carry on is mean and pitt
ful. We do not understand; we have
not tried to understand; we have not
trained ourselves, we do not train our
boys In the technique of thought. We
blindly think that any man of common
wit can think as well as any other
man. And so we blunder on in stupid
arrogance, not knowing the world in
which we live, not knowing which way
we wish to go, not knowing how best
to overcome the obstacles which block
our path. We just go on keeping our
eyes wide open-in the dark
l wonder II our colleges can cure us
of this arrogance. They viii be hated
If they do. Men do not like the pricks
which bring down arrogance. And vet
the colleges must do this work They
must, as no one else can do, keep clear
before us the questions upon the an
swering of which our fate depends.
And they must keep us posted as to
how we are getting on in our attempts
at answers. They are the teachers
and critics of our intellectual life. 1t
Is their task to see to 1t that our peo-
pie think Alright about essential prob
lens. 1t is a rather heavy response
billty.
The third point has to do with the
fact that in general people are divided
into antagonistic groups with regard
to those issues Of life upon which they
need guidance. AS to the war, there
was for long time the question, Shall
we go In or stay out? AS to the peace
there Is the question, Shall we ratify
the League Of Nations or reject il? AS
to politics. men are Republicans. Dem
ocrats, Socialists or the like. AS to
industry, they are employers and
workers. owners and the servants of
owners. As to religion, they have