Universities-and-Their-Function

universitiesandtheirfunctionTheuniversitiesareschoolsofeducation,andschoolsofresearch.Buttheprimaryreasonfortheirexistenceisnottobefoundeitherinthemereknowledgeconveyedtothestudentsorinthemereopportunitiesforresearchaffordedtothemembersofthefaculty.Thejustificationofauniversityisthatitpreservestheconnectionbetweenknowledgeandthezestoflife,byunitingtheyoungandtheoldintheimaginativeconsiderationoflearning.Theuniversityimpartsinformation,butitimpartsitimaginatively.Atleast,thisisfunctionwhichitshouldperformforsociety.Auniversitywhichfailsinthisrespecthasnoreasonforexistence.Thisatmosphereofexcitement,arisingfromimaginativeconsideration,transformsknowledge.Afactisnolongerabarefact:itisinvestedwithallitspossibilities.Itisnolongeraburdenonthemermory:itisenergizingasthepoetofdreams,andasthearchitectofourpurposes.Imaginationisnottobedivorcedfromthefacts:itisawayofilluminatingthefacts.Itworksbyelictingthegeneralprincipleswhichapplytothefacts,astheyexist,andthenbyanintellectualsurveyofalternativepossibilitieswhichareconsistentwiththoseprinciples.Itenablesmentoconstructanintellectualvisionofsatisfyingpurposes.Youthisimaginative,andiftheimaginationbestrengthenedbydiscipline,thisenergyofimaginationcaningreatmeasurebepreservedthroughlife.Thetragedyoftheworldisthatthosewhoareexperiencedhavefeebleimagination.foolsactonimaginationwithoutknowledge;pedantsactonknowledgewithoutimagination.thetaskofauniversityistoweldtogetherimaginationandexperience.Theinitialdisciplineofimaginationinitsperiodofyouthfulvigourrequiresthattherebenoresponsibilityforimmediateaction.Thehabitofunbiasedthought,wherebytheidealvarietyofexemplificationisdiscernedinitsderivationfromgeneralprinciples,cannotbeacquiredwhenthereisthedailytaskofpreservingaconcreteorganisation.Youmustbefreetothinkrightlyandwrongly,andfreetoappreciatethevariousnessoftheuniverseundisturbedbyitsperils.Thesereflectionsuponthegeneralfunctionsofauniversitycanbeatoncetranslatedintermsoftheparticularfunctionsofabusinessschool.Weneednotflinchfromtheassertionthatthemainfunctionofsuchaschoolistoproducemenwithagreaterzestforbusiness.Itisalibeluponhumannaturetoconceivethatzestforlifeistheproductofpedestrianpurposesdirectedtowardthenarrowroutineofmaterialcomforts.Mankindbyitspioneeringinstinct,andinahundredotherways,proclaimsthefalsehoodofthatlie.Inthemoderncomplexsocialorganism,theadventureoflifecannotbedisjoinedfromintellectualadventure.Amidsimplercircumstances,thepioneercanfollowtheurgeofhisinstinct,directedtowardthesceneofhisvisionfromthemountaintop.Butinthecomplexorganisationsofmodernbusinesstheintellectualadventureofanalysis,andofimaginativereconstruction,mustprecedeanysuccessfulreorganisation.Inasimplerworld,businessrelationsweresimpler,beingbasedontheimmediatecontactofmanwithmanandonimmediateconfrontationwithallrelevantmaterialcircumstances.Todaybusinessorganisationrequiresanimaginativegraspofthepsychologiesofpopulationsengagedindifferingmodesofoccupation;ofpopulationsscatteredthroughcities,throughmountains,throughplains;ofpopulationsontheocean,andofpopulationsinmines,andofpopulationsinforests.Itrequiresanimaginativegraspofconditionsinthetropics,andofconditionsintemperatezones.Itrequiresanimaginativegraspoftheinterlockinginterestsofgreatorganisations,andofthereactionsofthewholecomplextoanychangeinoneofitselements.Itrequiresanimaginativeunderstandingoflawsofpoliticaleconomy,notmerelyintheabstract,butalsowiththepowertoconstruethemintermsoftheparticularcircumstancesofaconcretebusiness.Itrequiressomeknowledgeofthehabitsofgovernment,andofthevariationsofthosehabitsunderdiverseconditions.Itrequiresanimaginativevisionofthebindingforcesofanyhumanorganisation,asympatheticvisionofthelimitsofhumannatureandoftheconditionswhichevokeloyaltyofservice.Itrequiressomeknowledgeofthelawsofhealth,andofthelawsoffatigue,andoftheconditionsforsustainedreliability.Itrequiresanimaginativeunderstandingofthesocialeffectsoftheconditionsoffactories.Itrequiresasufficientconceptionoftheroleofappliedscienceinmodernsociety.Itrequiresthatdisciplineofcharacterwhichcansay`yes'and`no'toothermen,notbyreasonofblindobstinacy,butwithfirmnessderivedfromaconsciousevaluationofrelevantalternatives.Theuniversitieshavetrainedtheintellectualpioneersofourcivilisation-thepriests,thelawyers,thestatesmen,thedoctors,themenofscience,andthemenofletters.Theyhavebeenthehomeofthoseidealswhichleadmentoconfronttheconfusionoftheirpresenttimes.ThePilgrimFathersleftEnglandtofoundastateofsocietyaccordingtotheidealsoftheirreligiousfaith;andoneoftheirearlieractswasthefoundationofHarvardUniversityinCambridge,namedafterthatancientmotherofidealsinEngland,towhichsomanyofthemowedtheirtraining.Theconductofbusinessnowrequiresintellectualimaginationofthesametypeasthatwhichinformertimeshasmainlypassedintothoseotheroccupations;andtheuniversitiesaretheorganisationswhichhavesuppliedthistypeofmentalityfortheserviceoftheprogressoftheEuropeanraces.Inearlymediaevalhistorytheoriginofuniversitieswasobscureandalmostunnoticed.Theywereagradualandnaturalgrowth.Buttheirexis