社会需求与权力制约:近代中国大学学科设置与变迁——一个关于北洋大学的案例研究

Societal Demands and Political Manipulation:Disciplinary Designations in Peiyang University in Early Modern China

中国大学自近代产生之日起便承担着艰巨的社会责任。培养新式人才是大学与生俱来的历史使命,学科是以"人才"为中介而连接起大学与社会的重要纽带,它的设置是教育领域变革中的重中之重。作为近代中国创办的第一所大学,北洋大学的学科设置无疑为继起者之规式,在其经历了初设时期设律例、工程、矿冶、机械四科到民国期间取消法科、专办工科的发展历史中,社会的需求与权力的制约成为左右其学科变迁的主要因素。学科设立的实用原则遮蔽了知识与真理本身的发展路径,这不但最终成为北洋大学的发展瓶颈,更为我们今日的教育改革敲响警钟。

Ever since their first debut,universities in early modern China were placed with heavy social responsibilities.They were born with the historical mission of cultivating the modern youth of China.To fulfill this mission,disciplinary designations is of vital importance,as disciplines are nothing but the connecting links between universities and society.Peiyang University,the first modern university in China,was established with four major disciplinary domains,namely,Law,Engineering,Mining and Metallurgy as well as Machinery.However,due to societal demands and political manipulation,the school later had to cut off all other disciplines and focus solely on Engineering during the period of the Republic of China(1912-49).These pragmatic motivations behind disciplinary designations in Peiyang University,not only ran counter to the ideal of pursuing truth and knowledge,but also significantly hindered the development of the school itself.