无新事
记录和分享我的所听, 所见，所感，所想。
下面这则也是两年前是应国内一个朋友的要求写的，有点粗糙。等哪天不小心海龟了，重操旧业，咱再改改，自己来用 . 把这几篇小文放在这里纯粹是为我自己找个存放的地方，不喜欢的朋友们跳过去就是 .
The Hutchins Utopia?
Author’s note:
The education philosopher reflected in this story is Robert M. Hutchins, a perennialist education advocate who lived between 1899 and 1977, who had also served as president for University of Chicago from 1929 to 1945 and later as chancellor from 1945 to 1951. Hutchins (1953) believed that "the object of the educational system, taken as a whole, is not to produce hands for industry or to teach the young how to make a living. It is to produce responsible citizens". His idea of the Great Books was adopted by St. John’s University and other colleges throughout the country. Hutchins also advocated against sports, religious education, university philanthropy and financial gains on university campuses. For Hutchins (1936), university is a place for people to learn the “common stock of fundamental ideas”.
“I” in this story is purely fictional. He was supposedly an exchange scholar from China shortly after the time of regime exchange. Some of the historical renderings may be a little shaky but it was for the sole purpose of storying. On the other hand, the author has made special endeavors to expound the gist of Hutchins’ educational beliefs and tried to render such beliefs in line with Hutchins’s known theories. Part of the Hutchins dialogue appeared in this story was direct quotation from his works with the rest written up by the author. The blame of the lack of better understanding on the Hutchins ideas lies upon the author only.
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In 1955, I was invited to University of California at Santa Barbara as an exchange scholar. I had taught in Nanking University in China before the Communist Party took over in 1949. Unlike most of my colleagues and friends who had chosen to flee to Taiwan, I opted to stay behind believing that I had done nothing wrong to be punished by the Communist Party. As an educator, I have gained my reputation throughout the years. To show to the outside world that all the fronts in China were united after 1949, the Communist Party decided to use me to send political signals to others that the Party meant good by letting me teach in the same university. As a close friend to some leading figures in the “old regime”, this was a “good” treatment. Even more so, the Party picked me and sent me to an American university for a scholarly exchange, trusting me in hands of the number one enemy of new China.
I graduated from St. John’s University, with my first two years spent on its Shanghai campus and the last two at St. John’s Minneapolis campus. As one of the Johnnies (the nickname we used for the students at St. John), I always wanted to meet with Robert Hutchins, one of the advocates of the Great Books that was widely used at St. John.
So when I learned that I would be at Santa Barbara, the city where Hutchins now resided, I was thrilled with the faint hope that someday I could meet with Hutchins.
And, I did.
One day, I was doing my daily jogging along the hilly path in Santa Barbara and a car curved around the corner and almost hit me. I was quite startled but did not hurt. As I slowed down to walk, I thought the car would probably leave, seeing me still on my feet. But contrary to my prediction, the car stopped and the driver and a lady stepped out and asked if I was all right.
I looked up and saw a tall man in his late fifties with short peppery hair neatly combed backwards. Next to him stood a lovely lady in a beige day dress. At that time, the communist scare was quite widespread in US, targeting particularly against the Chinese, and I was from the Communist China. So naturally many people stayed away from me, even some of the professors at UCSB.
Amidst the prevalent negative mentality towards Chinese, the gentleman seemed to have forgotten about my color. His face radiated warmth and friendliness. After I assured him that I was ok, he and his wife chatted with me for quite a while. Before we parted, I found myself invited me to their house on the hill for an afternoon tea the coming Friday. I hesitated a little but decided to accept the invitation. My hesitation came from the fact that I was still not sure whether I should accept the invitation from someone we just met. The old man introduced himself as Robert and his wife as Vesta but no last name was given in the haste. In his casual but neat clothes, he looked vaguely familiar. I told myself that maybe that was Robert Hutchins but then reasoned against the assumption, as the chance for me to bump into Hutchins while jogging was quite slim.
During the week, I found myself secretly longing for the visit. I had to admit that I was lonely at that time. Although the Party sent me to US for a visit, my wife and kids were not allowed to travel with me. I missed being around my family and would love to feel some family warmth, even that family belonged to a “foreign devil”, as often called by propaganda agency back at home.
Before my visit, my Vietnamese roommate Ngo advised me to bring along a box of cookie for my visit and further offered to loan me a casual jacket as befitting the occasion when he saw I was about to bring along my Mao’s suit.
Following the direction given to me by Robert, I took a bus to the hill stop and walked the remaining distance. It was a beautiful day. The Pacific Ocean was gleaming in the autumn sun. The west coast foliage had not fully put on its fall colors yet; various shades of green still dominated the roadside scene. The flowers were blooming near and far and occasionally some butterflies could be seen fluttering among the blossoms. The walk was quiet and peaceful as not many people or cars were on the road. It was a lazy and comfortable afternoon in this beach community.
Shortly after I turned around the third corner, I saw the house Robert described to me on the phone. It was a one-story Mediterranean style brick house surrounded with lush landscape and a natural fence of bushes. I walked up towards the front door, noticing one stone turtle on the left side with “Welcome” sign hanging around its outreaching neck. A silk evergreen potted plant was carefully arranged on the right. I put on the jacket I was holding and were about to ring the bell, the door opened from inside and there was the smiling Robert in cream color slacks with his wife standing next to him. They gave me a hearty hug and ushered me into the living room.
The room was large with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. A pleasant feeling of warmth and peace swept through me. What caught my eyes next were the comfortable chairs along the east walls where six huge bookshelves stood from floor to ceiling. A sliding ladder was conveniently located nearby for the reader to retrieve books from the higher shelves. It looked like that this living room also served as a study for Robert. As my eyes travel around the room, I also noticed some pictures in the frames on the stands next to the chairs. Those pictures had Robert Hutchins in them as I had seen his pictures many times. A thought occurred to me that this Robert must be the Robert I had in mind. Before I even got the chance to sit down, I could not help asking him, “Are you the Robert Hutchins in those pictures?” Robert was quite taken by my question as he may not have expected me to know his name at all.
“Well, yes, I am Robert Hutchins but how did you came to know about me?”
I told him my background and explained to him the history of my admiration and my wishes to meet him in person. He was quite bashful at my compliments, very much contrary to what the newspapers sometimes described as hardheaded and arrogant.
“Well, now that we have met, you could ask me any questions you may have. But I must say that I am quite glad and a little flattered to learn that my name went as far as the Communist China. So what do you like to know about me that has kept your wishes alive for so long?” After his wife Vesta poured us some tea from the beautifully laid out tea set not too far from the book shelves, Hutchins turned to me and said.
Taking the cue, I answered before I even got to taste my first sip of tea, “Well, I am an educator myself and I am particularly interested in higher education, of which you have provided much theoretical guidance. First, I’d like to know how did growing up in a very religious family affect you and your educational beliefs?”
“Yes, you are quite right. My family were very religious. As you may have known, both my father and my grandfather were Presbyterian ministers. But that did not prevent me from going secular. However, because of my family’s religious commitment, I came to realize the importance of the set of values imparted from religious education. But I do believe that values particular to a religious group should be taught within that group and stay there as well.” Hutchins said softly.
“But as one of the most influential figures in secular perennialism, how do you define your role then?” I persisted.
“Well, first I don’t call myself a perennialist. This is a name given to me but I do believe that one should teach the things of everlasting importance to all people everywhere.” Hutchins continued.
Being an admirer of Hutchins did not mean that I agreed with Hutchins on every aspect. I became a born-again Christian while I was still a freshman at St. John’s Shanghai. In terms of education theories and philosophy, I agreed more with the French philosopher and thinker Jacques Maritain more than I did with Hutchins. I believe that Christian education and the Christian values should be part of any educational system, particularly that of higher education. I believe that an educated man is a well-developed man whose qualities are nurtured in families, strengthened and further developed in churches, communities and our educational institutions. I was able to apply the ideas in my teaching in China before 1949 but after that, I was not encouraged to emphasize this belief publicly. Such being my background, I answered to Hutchins,
“But isn’t religious education, or rather, Christian education, of everlasting importance to all people everywhere?” I asked boldly.
“Zhang, you are right in your own assumptions. Christian education is important to Christian educational institutions only. So is the Muslim education, Jewish education or Buddhism education. If we practice Christian education in any higher learning institution, we would confine our minds and the minds of the students within the Christian framework and hinder them from thorough and deeper knowledge inquiries.” Hutchins said briefly.
Not wanting to have our conversation going into a different direction, I decided to pursue no further on the topic. So I asked instead,
“I remember you said it in one of your speeches that a true education is all inclusive but prioritize the formulation and growth of the intellectual virtues. Could you tell me more about that in relation to your educational beliefs?”
“Yes, a true education includes all aspects of learning, humanities and sciences. But such learning should be part of the curriculum in all universities for all students. In universities, students are not to be divided into various majors and narrow their learning to a certain trade, which in my opinion, could be done in the trade schools. Training people for the purpose of finding a job is not truly practical at all, for a man does not stay on the job 24 hours a day. The specialization of American education has robbed students of the ability to communicate with other students outside of their field. A student of biology cannot converse meaningfully with a student of mathematics because they share no common educational experience. Education is becoming nothing more than a trade school, and a poor trade school at that.
When the students come to the university, they are here to formulate and develop their intellectual virtues and those virtues should be the basis for any profession the students are to take, whether it be engineers or sales or government servants. The purpose of higher education is to unsettle the minds of young men, to widen their horizons, to inflame their intellects. (Hutchins, 1936, 48). People with well developed intellectual virtues will not only become responsible citizens but also become independent thinkers and problem solvers. So does this answer your question?” Hutchins smiled at me and said,
“By the way, this has begun to sound like an interview to me. Is this what you are trying to do? But again, I am quite glad that you are interested in my theories and I do not mind at all if you are indeed conducting an interview. Go ahead, but do remember to try some of those delicious chocolate chips cookies you brought along. ”
Hutchins’ words emboldened me further. But I decided to try those cookies first. They were indeed delicious and went quite well with the light red tea I was drinking. I thought of the question I was about to ask next him and began,
“In a modernized world where science and technology have got more and more attention, how do we then prepare the college students for their future work? After all, the students would eventually have to face the reality and find a job to support themselves and their families, right?”
“Right. But I have never said they do not need to learn any skills to make a living! Isn’t it amazing how people always pick and choose what they want to hear! I disagree with many aspects of the so-called modern education. Too much emphasis is placed upon specialization and careers too early in the students’ lives. The curriculum served for that end too. What I have been trying to get everyone’s attention is to introduce the students to the intellectual traditions of Western civilization BEFORE they got their hands on the techniques and skills to earn their living. Things have to be done in the right order or what come out of our colleges and universities are no more than a bunch of skilled personnel who lack the intellectual virtues and ability to think. The intellectual foundation has to be in place for all who enter the university. There has to be a universal program for all students before they depart on their specific interest. Simple as that!” Hutchins said it with a loud voice tingled with slight offense at the general misunderstanding of his beliefs.
“While you were president at University of Chicago, you undertook one of the boldest and most influential educational reforms of the 20th century. You reorganized the undergraduate and graduate departments of the university known as the Chicago Plan. All the undergraduates were encouraged a liberal education at an earlier age, and the students’ accomplishments were measured by comprehensive examination rather than by time spent in classrooms. How did that go?” I further asked.
“I still believe that was the right thing to do, though many people were against it. I talked about a solid intellectual foundation for all but all the talks meant little if no action was taken. While I was teaching at the law school in Yale university before I went to Chicago, students got into law related curriculum the moment they got into the university. I believe that law student should be a walking encyclopedia with accumulated wisdom and discernment that could only come out of classic books of all civilizations. But then, not being a decision-maker, I was unable to enforce my beliefs.
So when I became the tenure president at Chicago, I had to do it for the sake of the students and the university. My friend Mortimer J. Adler gave me tremendous amount of support at that time. The students were required to take courses in mathematics and the sciences as well as in the traditional liberal arts. The Plan, like any other new thing, ran into many difficulties in the beginning. The students were not used to get into the university and have all sorts of classics as their required textbooks. The professors were not sure how to switch from ‘formal’ teaching to simply a facilitator for discussions. But eventually the Plan took off and became our signature program. Part of the controversy of the Plan was on how to assess and evaluate the students. We gave the students comprehensive examinations to find out if they could integrate and process what they read and discussed. The students have the knowledge only when they could digest the information they read. And the degree is conferred upon the students based on the mastery of the information learned, not on the number of classes taken, credits earned, or hours spent in class.”” Hutchins stood up and walked to the panoramic window facing the ocean. I walked over there with him, eager to take in the spectacular views before us.
“How about sports? While you were president at University of Chicago, the university abandoned the intercollegiate football. That university had been a member of the Big 10 and football was a tradition established there by Amos Alonzo Stagg for over several decades. It’s important to have some exercise for us academics. Don’t you think so?” I gazed across the ocean and asked casually.
"Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until the urge passes." Hutchins chuckled and answered with his frequently quoted sentence. I was amused but did not comment on it.
“But how about the financial concerns of the university? Or, for that matter, any university? You were said to focus not on the balance sheets. How did the university survive the period?” I asked one of the questions I have been harboring for a while.
“Well, for any reform, there ought to have sacrifice. Things don’t go smoothly in all respects. No, I do not want the university to focus on the financial gains. Universities are not businesses, though I hate to say many of them have become as such nowadays. The love of money is very vulgar. It is sad but true that when an institution determines to do something in order to get money it must lose its soul, and frequently does not get the money. Money comes to education in three ways: from students, from donors, and from legislatures. To frame a policy in order to appeal to any one of the three is both fatal and futile. How much of the current confusion in universities would have been eliminated if boards of trustees had declined gifts which merely reflected the passing whims of wealthy men? Few restricted gifts have ever been made to a university that paid the expense of receiving them. But don’t hear me wrong. I do not mean, of course, that universities do not need money and they should not try to get it. I mean only that they should have an educational policy and then try to finance it, instead of letting financial accidents determines their educational policy.” Hutchins reiterated what he said in The Higher Learning in America (1936).
We walked back to the chairs and Hutchins refilled our teacups. I would love to sit back and relax a little but I knew chances like this were rare and I would not like to miss such a prime opportunity. So I asked instead, “Your critics regard you as a dangerous idealist who pushed the school (University of Chicago) out of the national limelight and temporarily thwarted its possible expansion. How do you respond to it?”
“If you know what my critics say about me, you probably know what my supporters say as well. Those who supported me believed that it was my reform and changes that kept Chicago intellectually unique. You see, no one could satisfy all the people but I would care less about what they say anyway because what truly matters is to do the right thing for the university students.” Hutchins put down his teacup and commented,
“You surely know quite a lot about me and about my books. You amazed me, Zhang!”
That gave me a chance to ask another question. “I did not know about you till I got into St. John’s University in Shanghai and later at St. John’s in Minneapolis. I like your ideas, particularly the Great Books program you started in University of Chicago. St. John adopted it in 1937 and I benefited a great deal from it. Could you tell me more about the Great Books program?”
“I am glad that others have seen the benefits of the program. The Great Books are the pivotal accumulation of human civilization. They represent man’s collective knowledge and wisdom. The students will learn the common stock of fundamental ideas that have shaped the human mind by studying those books.” Hutchins said simply. Then he added,
“Everyone is entitled to have a general education to cultivate the intellectual virtues. Those virtues are good in themselves and good as means of happiness. Intellectual virtues are habits resulting from the training of the intellectual powers through logic, sciences, mathematics, philosophies, arts, literature revealed in the Great Books. Only when the students’ intellect is well honed could they go into their individual fields later. An intellect properly disciplined, an intellect properly habituated, is an intellect able to operate well in all fields.”
“But people would argue about the definition of the Great Books. As a chief editor of Great Books of the Western World and Gateway to the Great Books, what would be your definition of a great book or a classic book?” I asked.
“The Great Books have attained to the dimensions of classics through the ages. I personally believe that many of such books are in the ancient and medieval period but they are also contemporary. A classic is a book that is contemporary in every age. That is why it is classic. The conversations of Socrates raise questions that are as urgent today as they were when Plato wrote. Such books should be a large part of the permanent studies. A man who has not read any of the great books in the western world is not a truly educated man. But today it is entirely possible for a student to graduate from the finest American universities without having read Newton, Aristotle, Cicero, Milton, Descartes, Locke, Wundt, or Adam Smith, except maybe some Shakespeare. Besides, the Great Books of the Western World cover basically every department of knowledge, from philosophy, theology, mathematics, science, music, poetry, laws, physics, and literature.” Hutchins said quickly.
“But do the university students have to spend four years to do that? Isn’t it a bit too long? I ventured.
“Zhang, four years is certainly none too long for such experience. This is an experience to prepare for the students’ advanced study and help the students understand the world. It will develop habits of reading and standards of tastes and criticism that will enable the adult to think and act intelligently, about the thought and movements of contemporary life and further share in the intellectual activity of his time.” Hutchins answered.
“But those books are basically Western, do you think they would work with people from different cultures? Say India, China or Iran?” I changed the topic a little.
“First I believe the eastern people would benefit just as much out of those books as the Westerners do. Grammar disciplines the mind and develops the logical faculty; logic demonstrates reasoning; rhetoric cultivates the correctness in thinking. Besides, the East has its own great books that excel in many aspects. Lao Tze and Confucius offer life guidance for the Chinese; Zhangzi explored the nature of laws several thousand of years ago. Indians have its many treatises on wisdom and knowledge; and many mathematic laws were discovered and developed by easterners throughout the ages. Western Great Books and Eastern Great Books could work together to compliment each other.” Hutchins said, unbeknownst to him that years later, St. John’s Santa Fe, New Mexico campus did start the Eastern Classics program in 1992 and became the only accredited institution in North America that offers an academic degree to Eastern Classics.
“How should the teachers teach the students such books then?” I asked.
“The Socratic method of inquiry is the best tool for any professor. And the professors would need to learn with the students as well. The professors of today have been brought up differently. Not all of them have read all the books they would have to teach. Not all of them are ready to change the habits of their lives. So the professors would have to be willing to change before they could guide the students. Students learn through reading, reflection and discussions to refine their intellectual virtues.”
By this time, the sun was setting on the horizon and the rays had colored the ocean crimson. We sat there watching the views and breathed in the salty breezes carried into the room through the opened French doors. I looked at the clock and noticed it was already six o’clock. I must get back to the campus before it was too late to catch the bus. As if reading my mind, Hutchins said, “Don’t worry, I will give you a ride back.” I took that offer because I wanted to stay longer here talking with him. Vesta prepared us some Italian pasta, chicken and salads for dinner that night and we continued to chat more on various topics before I went back on campus.
Since then, Hutchins and I have been friends. We went on fishing trips at the piers on the ocean; we went to theatres every once a while but mostly we talked about the educational systems in different parts of the world. The two years I stayed at Santa Barbara were very fruitful because of my personal acquaintance with him..
In the winter of 1957, I went back to China and was caught in one of the worst pages of China’s history. The Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and I, the “stinking # 9”, the name for all the teachers then, was treated as a spy for the Kuomingtang Party in Taiwan for the connections I had with the Kuomingtang officials prior to 1949. On top of that, I was also accused of living a “capitalist life style” as I had been to US quite a few times and my talks and outlook have become more open-minded than others at that time. I was separated from my family and sent to the hard labor camp in the countryside for 10 years till 1979.
During the harsh times, all the communications with my friends overseas were cut off. In 1979 when my case was cleared and I was finally allowed to be back into the city to join my family, I learned that Hutchins died on May 14, 1977 at Santa Barbara when I was in the labor camp working my days in the muddy fields and repenting.
Hutchins’ advocate and commitment to the Great Books have finally caught on in various campuses. Chicago University has maintained a modified Great Books program and St. John has attracted students from all corners of the world to study the Great Books and the Eastern Classics. The great comfort to me was when some of the leading Christian universities in US picked up the essence of the Great Books program and integrated with the biblical teachings.
In my old age, China has grown to be economically strong but its moral decadence is appallingly worrisome. The young people nowadays are in need of many basic intellectual and moral virtues, which I believe our universities are not providing now. People are lost in the vain madness and pursuit of money at the expense of health, integrity, family unity, social harmony and their spiritual well-being. Traditional thoughts like Taoism and Confucianism have been ridiculed and wiped out of the university curricula during the Cultural Revolution. People embraced the Western culture at its face value without giving it much deeper thoughts. Nothing much could be done by an old man like me to reverse the current trend in the society. But I do hope that by writing down my encounter with Hutchins decades ago, I could help some people see the benefits of a good university education for the younger generations.
At my age, I am still hopeful.
REFERENCES
Adler,M.J. (1982), Robert M. Hutchins: A Personal Memoir. Chicago, IL: The
University of Chicago Press.
Chang, I. (2003). The Chinese in America. Penguin Books.
Dzuback, M.A. (1991), Robert M. Hutchins. Chicago, IL: The University of
Chicago Press.
Fernandez, A.B. (2000). The Hutchins College is Alive and Well in Waukegan.,
The University of Chicago [On-Line], http://www.universityofchicago.com
Hutchins, R. M. (1954). Great Books, Simon and Schuster, Inc.
Hutchins, R. M. (1936). The Higher Learning in America. New Haven
Hutchins, R. M. (1968). The Learning Society, The University of Chicago Press.
Hutchins, R. M. (1953) The University of Utopia. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press.
Hutchins, R.M. and Adler, M.J. (1953). The Great Book World. Chicago, IL:
Encyclopedia Britannica.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_perennialism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St. John's_College,_U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution
http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-hutchins
http://www.nas.org/reports/gt_bks/gb_programs.htm
Maritanin, J. (1962). The Education of Man. Doubleday & Company, Inc.
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