2014年英语(一)试题 第9页(共14页)
Text4
“TheHeartoftheMatter,”thejust-releasedreportbytheAmericanAcademy
ofArtsandSciences(AAAS),deservespraiseforaffirmingtheimportanceofthe
humanitiesandsocialsciencestotheprosperityandsecurityofliberaldemocracyin
America.Regrettably,however,thereport?sfailuretoaddressthetruenatureof
thecrisisfacingliberaleducationmaycausemoreharmthangood.
In2010,leadingcongressionalDemocratsandRepublicanssentletterstothe
AAASaskingthatitidentifyactionsthatcouldbetakenby “federal,stateandlocal
governments,universities,foundations,educators,individualbenefactorsandothers”to
“maintain national excellencein humanities and social scientific scholarship and
education.”In response,the American Academyformedthe Commission onthe
HumanitiesandSocialSciences.Amongthecommission?s51 membersaretop-tieruniversitypresidents,scholars,lawyers,judges,andbusinessexecutives,aswellas
prominentfiguresfromdiplomacy,filmmaking,musicandjournalism.
The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because
representativegovernmentpresupposesaninformedcitizenry,thereportsupports
fullliteracy;stressesthestudyofhistoryandgovernment,particularlyAmerican
history and American government;and encourages the use of new digital
technologies.Toencourageinnovationandcompetition,thereportcallsforincreased
investmentinresearch,thecraftingofcoherentcurriculathatimprovestudents?abilityto
solveproblemsandcommunicateeffectivelyinthe21stcentury,increasedfundingfor
teachersandtheencouragementofscholarstobringtheirlearningtobearonthegreat
challengesoftheday.Thereportalsoadvocatesgreaterstudyofforeignlanguages,
internationalaffairsandtheexpansionofstudyabroadprograms.
Unfortunately,despite2
1/2yearsinthemaking,“TheHeartoftheMatter”never
getstotheheartofthematter:theilliberalnatureofliberaleducationatourleading
collegesanduniversities.ThecommissionignoresthatforseveraldecadesAmerica?s
collegesanduniversitieshaveproducedgraduates whodon?tknowthecontentand
characterofliberaleducationandarethusdeprivedofitsbenefits.Sadly,thespiritof
inquiryonceathomeoncampushasbeenreplacedbytheuseofthehumanitiesandsocial
sciencesasvehiclesforpublicizing“progressive,”orleft-liberalpropaganda.
Today,professorsroutinelytreattheprogressiveinterpretation ofhistoryand
progressivepublicpolicyasthepropersubjectofstudywhileportrayingconservativeor
classicalliberalideas—suchasfree marketsandself-reliance—asfallingoutsidethe
boundariesofroutine,andsometimeslegitimate,intellectualinvestigation.
TheAAASdisplaysgreatenthusiasmforliberaleducation.Yetitsreportmay
wellsetbackreform byobscuringthedepthandbreadthofthechallengethat
Congressaskedittoilluminate.