THE THEORY OF THE LIBERAL COLLEGE
通识学院的理论
By Alexander Meiklejohn
亚历山大·米克尔约翰
THE THEORY OF THE LIBERAL COLLEGE, by Alexander Meiklejohn, from his Freedom and the College, New York, The Century Company, 1923, pp. 155-189. Alexander Meiklejohn (1872-1964), American educator and teacher of philosophy.
This was his inaugural address as president of Amherst College, Massachusetts, October 16, 1912.
In the discussions concerning college education there is one voice which is all too seldom raised and all too often disregarded. It is the voice of the teacher and scholar, of the member of the college faculty. It is my purpose here to consider the ideals of the teacher, of the problems of instruction as they present themselves to the men who are giving instruction. And I do this not because I believe that just now the teachers are wiser than others who are dealing with the same questions, but rather as an expression of a definite conviction with regard to the place of the teacher in our educational scheme. It is, I believe, the function of the teacher to stand before his pupils and before the community at large as the intellectual leader of his time. If he is not able to take this leadership, he is not worthy of his calling. If the leadership is taken from him and given to others, then the very foundations of the scheme of instruction are shaken. He who in matters of teaching must be led by others is not the one to lead the imitative undergraduate, not the one to inspire the confidence and loyalty and discipleship on which all true teaching depends. If there are others who can do these things better than the college teacher of to-day, then we must bring them within the college walls. But if the teacher is to be deemed worthy of his task, then he must be recognized as the teacher of us all, and we must listen to his words as he speaks of the matters intrusted to his charge.
在关于大学教育的讨论中,有一个声音极少被听到,而且往往被忽视。那就是来自教师与学者的声音,大学教师队伍的声音。在此,我意在思量教师的理想,思考在教学过程中呈现在教师面前的种种问题。之所以这样做,并不是因为在我看来当下教师比其他处理同样问题的人更加智慧贤明,而是笃定且信任教师这个角色在我们的教育体制的地位和作用。这种作用表现为教师作为其时代的思想领导者,能够成为学生和整个社区的表率。如果他无法承担此领导作用,那么他就愧对这个称谓。如果他的领导地位被剥夺,被赋予他人,那么整个教育体制的基础也将会为之动摇。在教学中拾人牙慧、亦步亦趋的教师培养不出效仿力强的学生,更谈不上教育真正依赖的树立信心、鼓舞忠诚、激励崇奉。如果有人能够比当今的教师在这些方面做得更加出色,那么我们必须把他们请进大学校园中来。而且,如果教师所做的工作得到社会的价值认同,我们所有人应视其为老师,听从他的言辞,因为他所言之事正是被交托之职。
通识学院的理论
By Alexander Meiklejohn
亚历山大·米克尔约翰
THE THEORY OF THE LIBERAL COLLEGE, by Alexander Meiklejohn, from his Freedom and the College, New York, The Century Company, 1923, pp. 155-189. Alexander Meiklejohn (1872-1964), American educator and teacher of philosophy.
This was his inaugural address as president of Amherst College, Massachusetts, October 16, 1912.
In the discussions concerning college education there is one voice which is all too seldom raised and all too often disregarded. It is the voice of the teacher and scholar, of the member of the college faculty. It is my purpose here to consider the ideals of the teacher, of the problems of instruction as they present themselves to the men who are giving instruction. And I do this not because I believe that just now the teachers are wiser than others who are dealing with the same questions, but rather as an expression of a definite conviction with regard to the place of the teacher in our educational scheme. It is, I believe, the function of the teacher to stand before his pupils and before the community at large as the intellectual leader of his time. If he is not able to take this leadership, he is not worthy of his calling. If the leadership is taken from him and given to others, then the very foundations of the scheme of instruction are shaken. He who in matters of teaching must be led by others is not the one to lead the imitative undergraduate, not the one to inspire the confidence and loyalty and discipleship on which all true teaching depends. If there are others who can do these things better than the college teacher of to-day, then we must bring them within the college walls. But if the teacher is to be deemed worthy of his task, then he must be recognized as the teacher of us all, and we must listen to his words as he speaks of the matters intrusted to his charge.
在关于大学教育的讨论中,有一个声音极少被听到,而且往往被忽视。那就是来自教师与学者的声音,大学教师队伍的声音。在此,我意在思量教师的理想,思考在教学过程中呈现在教师面前的种种问题。之所以这样做,并不是因为在我看来当下教师比其他处理同样问题的人更加智慧贤明,而是笃定且信任教师这个角色在我们的教育体制的地位和作用。这种作用表现为教师作为其时代的思想领导者,能够成为学生和整个社区的表率。如果他无法承担此领导作用,那么他就愧对这个称谓。如果他的领导地位被剥夺,被赋予他人,那么整个教育体制的基础也将会为之动摇。在教学中拾人牙慧、亦步亦趋的教师培养不出效仿力强的学生,更谈不上教育真正依赖的树立信心、鼓舞忠诚、激励崇奉。如果有人能够比当今的教师在这些方面做得更加出色,那么我们必须把他们请进大学校园中来。而且,如果教师所做的工作得到社会的价值认同,我们所有人应视其为老师,听从他的言辞,因为他所言之事正是被交托之职。