历史语境下的1828年《耶鲁报告》重审

《耶鲁报告》是美国教育史上最具影响力的文献之一,引起无数的评论和解读。回归具体的历史语境和《耶鲁报告》的文本来考察,《耶鲁报告》是由耶鲁学院发展的内在需要所引发的内省式反思的产物,它既是耶鲁学院对自身宗教使命和办学宗旨的重新确认,也是对学院现状的经验总结和未来发展路径的思考和规划。《耶鲁报告》的产生,再次彰显了耶鲁学院在美国宗教复兴运动中的领袖地位和宗教使命,其对古典语言教育的捍卫,根本上是对传统学院的宗旨目标和道德理想的坚守。耶鲁学院对于学院教育目的和价值的定位、学院声誉的维护、运行经费的保障、学院课程的设置、管理和训导学生的方式等一系列问题的思考,都经由《耶鲁报告》表达出来,它凸显了耶鲁学院的管理理念和治理智慧。可以说,《耶鲁报告》反映了耶鲁学院既坚守传统使命,又服务现世的学院立场和现实主义发展路径,在事实上记录了自独立战争到19世纪初美国学院发展的探索历程和分散自主、多元竞争的独特"美国式"高等教育体系形成的初期状态。

A Review of the Yale Report of 1828 in the Historical Context

The Yale Report of 1828,one of the most influential documents in the history of American education,has attracted numerous comments and interpretations. According to the historical context and text exploration,the report was an introspective reflection triggered by the inherent need for the development of Yale College. Through the report,Yale College reconfirmed its religious missions and operational objectives,summarized its situation and experience,and planned its future route of development. The report re-demonstrated the leadership and religious missions of Yale College during America’s religious revival,and its defense of classical language education was in essence its adherence to the objectives and moral ideals of traditional colleges. Yale College’s thoughts on a series of issues,such as the orientation of its educational purpose and value,the protection of its reputation,the guarantee of its operating funds,the designing of its curriculum,and the way of its management and training of students,were all expressed in the report,and they highlighted its concepts of management and its wisdom of governance. Admittedly,the report reflected Yale College’s standpoint and realistic pathway of development by means of its adhering to traditional missions and serving the secular world,and recorded the development and explorations of American colleges from the War of Independence to the early19 th century,and the unique early system for the "American-style" higher education featuring decentralized autonomy and diversified competitions.