IV
Toallthisthereisthereadyobjectionoftheschoolmastersandutilitariansthatsuchaprojectisfantasticandunpractical，uselessandundesirable;thatsuchhasnotbeenthemissionoftheuniversityinthepast，noritsacceptedplaceanduseintheeducationalsystemoftodayandyesterday，。thattheuniversitiesofChristendomhavefromtheirfirstfoundationbeenoccupiedwithprofessionaltrainingandusefulknowledge;thattheyhavebeenfoundedforutilitarianpurposesandtheirworkhasbeenguidedmainlyoraltogetherbyutilitarianconsiderations;——allofwhichisconcededwithoutargument。Thehistoricalargumentamountstosayingthattheuniversitieswerefoundedbeforemoderncivilizationtookonitsmoderncharacter，beforethedisinterestedpursuitofknowledgehadcometotakethefirstplaceamongtheidealsofcivilizedmankind，andthattheywereestablishedtotakecareofthoseinterestswhichwerethenaccountedoffirstimportance，andthatthisintellectualenterpriseinpursuitofdisinterestedknowledgeconsequentlywasnotatthattimeconfidedtothecareofanyspecialestablishmentorfreelyavowedasalegitimateinterestinitsownright。
Itistruethat，byhistoricalaccident，theuniversityatlargehasgrownoutofprofessionaltraining—schools，primarilyschoolsfortrainingintheology，secondarilyinlawandmedicine。Itisalsotrue，inlikewiseandinlikedegree，thatmodernscienceandscholarshiphavegrownoutofthetechnologyofhandicraftandthetheologicalphilosophyoftheschoolmen。（7*）Butjustasitwouldbeabootlessenterprisetocutmodernsciencebackintohandicrafttechnology，sowoulditbeagratuitousimbecilitytoprunebackthemodernuniversitytothatinchoatephaseofitslife—historyandmakeitagainacorporationforthetrainingoftheologians，juristsanddoctorsofmedicine。Thehistoricalargumentdoesnotenjoinareturntothebeginningofthings，butratheranintelligentappreciationofwhatthingsarecomingto。
Thegenesisoftheuniversityatlarge，takenasaninstitutionofcivilizedlife，isanincidentofthetransitionfromthebarbariancultureofthemiddleagestomoderntimes，anditslatergrowthandacquirementofcharacterisanincidentofthefurthergrowthofmoderncivilization;andthecharacterofthislatergrowthoftheuniversityreflectsthebentofmoderncivilization，ascontrastedwiththebarbarianspiritofthingsinthemediaevalspiritualworld。
Inageneralway，theplaceoftheuniversityinthecultureofChristendomisstillsubstantiallythesameasithasbeenfromthebeginning。Ideally，andinthepopularapprehension，itis，asithasalwaysbeen，acorporationforthecultivationandcareofthecommunity’shighestaspirationsandideals。ButtheseidealsandaspirationshavechangedsomewhatwiththechangingschemeoftheWesterncivilization;andsotheuniversityhasalsoconcomitantlysochangedincharacter，aimsandidealsastoleaveitstillthecorporateorganofthecommunity’sdominantintellectualinterest。Atthesametime，itistrue，thesechangesinthepurposeandspiritoftheuniversityhavealwaysbeen，andarealwaysbeing，madeonlytardily，reluctantly，concessively，againsttheprotestsofthosewhoarezealousforthecommonplacesofthedaybeforeyesterday。Suchisthecharacterofinstitutionalgrowthandchange;andinitsadaptationtothealteredrequirementsofanalteredschemeofculturetheuniversityhasinthismatterbeensubjecttotheconditionsofinstitutionalgrowthatlarge。Aninstitutionis，afterall，aprevalenthabitofthought，andassuchitissubjecttotheconditionsandlimitationsthatsurroundanychangeinthehabitualframeofmindprevalentinthecommunity。