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Show Trends turn U.S. universities away from traditional ideas A recent speech given by Philip B. Kurland, professor of law at the University of Chicago, pointed out three trends which seem to be occurring at American universities. These trends are: an increase of instinctual forces over reason, egali-tarianism egali-tarianism over excellence and professionalism and a desire for political rather than intellectual objectives. The emergence of these trends has turned the emphasis away from the objective that universities have traditionally sought-the collection and communication of ideas in order to facilitate the progress of society. Politicization has affected universities both internally and externally. They have felt pressure lately to become a pressure pres-sure group in influencing national politics. Internally, American Ameri-can universities have been pressured to utilize their resources in order to improve social conditions in the community around them. When militant students or citizens disapproved of the research being conducted at the universities because of its political implications, they applied pressure on the administrations admini-strations to eliminate this research. Evidence of the growing desire for egalitarianism is seen in the growing cry by many students to be admitted into the group which controls the university's governance. Prof. Kurland believes that differences in intellectual capacity have been denied and that institutions which allow these inequalities inequali-ties to exhibit themselves have been eliminated. Individuality and excellence have also been stifled. Probably the most disheartening trend of the "new university" univer-sity" involves the loss of reason. It can be seen in the slogans calling for the destruction of the life of the new mind. Instead In-stead of weighing minds, the "new university" counts them. An idea is judged by the amount of people one can get to demonstrate for it. The university should not be committed to the point of view of any society. It should be free from all restraints to question and search. The younger members of our society, having no sense of history, are the products of a new scientific scienti-fic age. Because the young have not seen reason eliminated. Prof. Kurland believes that they do not know what primitive forces can be unleashed when it is. We feel that it is the universities' responsibility to fight the trends of politicization, egalitarianism in deference to professionalism profes-sionalism and individuality and lack of reason. By becoming too enmeshed in the politics of the day, our universities will lose their freedom to look at the facts objectively. |