Study On The Controversy About The Idea Of High Education In American During The First Half Of The20th Century

The idea of the university is the rational knowledge about substantivecharacteristics of the university, which is also the educational concept formed whenpeople try to pursuit it. The concepts of University in different times have differentconnotations, even in the same time; based on different philosophical and the point ofdifferent interests, there are different Ideas of University.With the development of the technology in the first half of the20th century,American society developed rapidly. The desire for professional person makes thepragmatism idea of university quick guide to the market at that time。The Americanuniversity has entered the golden period of development, not only the appearance ofall kinds of new universities, but also emerge in large numbers of Science andTechnology Park established by the school-enterprise cooperation, such as SiliconValley. The educator who holds the pragmatism value believes that the collegeeducation is in order to help people solve their problem in real life, to meet therequirements of the society, and knowledge must be effective and continue tostrengthen in the practice of university development, continue to strengthen theimpact on development of university. These changes, making the traditionaluniversities as well as the humanist who providing traditional education face anunprecedented threat. The educator such as Flexner、Hutchins、Veblen re-carry thebanner of humannism. They hold the view that university education should cultivatehigh moral accomplishment, good quality, and promote the harmonious developmentof humanity by learning these things which have eternal value in traditional culturalheritage. Under the affect of multiple factors, a large contend thinking about the ideaof the university has broken out in the field of higher education in the United States. Itis a confrontation between pragmatism educators and humanist educators. The debatebetween the two lasted from the end of the18th century to the20th century, it can besaid, pragmatism and humanism dispute has been the main theme in the developmentof Higher Education in the West ideological. In the long course of the debate, therelationship between the two does not exist to the party overwhelm the other’s state ofaffairs, is both conflict development and presents a fusion trend slowly.The disputes of the idea of university happened in the first half of20th centurygive us some revelations.First, we should foster the idea of free education philosophy, encourage different opinions exist, and explore a development road suitable foruniversity education in contemporary China by the free disputes of thought.Secondly, digging the essence of traditional culture, and cultivate a qualifiedcollege student who has a noble sentiment、a sound personality、perfect morality、astrong sense of social responsibility by using humanities education.What’s more, Scientific setting the curriculum system and balancing thedevelopment of practical courses and humanities courses, making the real benefit forthe students’ career and rational development in the future.Finally, developing the University’s new functions continuous in the new era,improving the residual liability, creating public conscience, to promoting internationalexchanges, making the idea of the university richer, better, and ultimately the value ofthe people and promote social development in the end.