I

EDUCATIONAL AIMS AND CIVIC NEEDS

UNIVERSITIES first arose to meet practical social needs. The medieval foundations in Italy and France fulfilled the demand for educated priests, lawyers, and physicians. The early colleges of New England were largely schools for aspirants to the learned professions. The later development of higher education, corresponding to the differentiation of functions in society, has greatly increased the list of special schools and departments in the university. The purpose and character of general education have varied with the dominant thought of successive eras. The Hebrew training was religious; the Athenians aimed at harmonious development in accord with the spirit of their philosophy and life; the Spartan and the Roman instruction was practical; the English university education has been adapted to the aristocratic organization of society; the American college emphasizes general power and intelligent citizenship as preparation for life in a democracy; at first Harvard, Yale, and Princeton each represented the peculiar religious views of its constituency.

The history of education can be fully studied only in connection with the history of civilization-the status, the needs, the ideals, and the vital beliefs of society. Any review of the higher learning of today must take into account the character of our civilization. We do not mean that education should blindly adopt every new theory, yield to every popular demand, or conform to low standards or degenerate tendencies, but simply that it must keep in touch with the people. It must, indeed, define its own principles and know the grounds of its faith, must assume a leadership and idealize its work, but it can not progress wholly outside the spirit of the age. When we say that the time is ripe for some change or reform, we mean there has been among the people a growing consciousness of imperfections and need of betterment. Leadership gathers and organizes the forces which in spirit are already prepared for a new crusade. Credit is increasingly given to the judgment of the body of citizens when formulated and expressed by able representatives, and today public sentiment has properly much to do in determining the nature and aims of education. The problems of the schools are simplified and made more clear if examined in terms of social needs.

What are the needs of society today? Business men, educators, students of politics, jour