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Correspondence

November 2002

Exchange with Professor Bartholomew about "A Moral Mission for Colleges" (2002)

The University
Background Information

“A Moral Mission for Colleges” was an op-ed by Rabbi Lamm published in The New York Times on Oct. 14, 1986, in which he argued that universities must go beyond intellectual training to instill moral and ethical values in their students. Noyes Bartholomew was a longtime music teacher and choral director at Yeshiva College.

Background Information

1. Professor Bartholomew to R. Lamm

1. Professor Bartholomew to R. Lamm (Nov. 20, 2002)

1. Professor Bartholomew to R. Lamm (Nov. 20, 2002)

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A Moral Mission for Colleges (1986)

Until about 50 years ago, it was commonly accepted that the university was responsible for offering its students moral guidance. Professors regarded themselves as not only the teachers of knowledge and skills, but also as educational stewards of a special kind of wisdom: the nature of the good life; truth and goodness and beauty; and the value of thought and reflection. In time, that received wisdom came under progressive assault. Universities began to disseminate knowledge without reference to this ethos. Intellectual inquiry became an autonomous enterprise. The moral mission of higher education was denigrated as too parochial and amateurish and, in the sixties, as being hypocritical, a cover for imperialism. Not long ago, a noted British philosopher observed that philosophers have been trying all this century to get rid of the dreadful idea that philosophy ought to be edifying. If this is true of philosophy, what can one say of other branches of knowledge taught in our ivied halls?This despair about the larger questions of life having a claim on our attention has filtered down to our lower schools. Only a few weeks ago, New York’s Governor Cuomo created a stir when he suggested that values ought to be taught in New York State public schools. Secretary of Education William J. Bennett has repeatedly urged public school leaders to teach moral and ethical subjects that represent a consensus of the community.It is fairly obvious that this erosion of the teaching of values in our schools is a reflection of a deliberate turn of events in higher education and in the intellectual climate of this country. No wonder that George Bernard Shaw once said of us:"I doubt if there has been a country in the world's history where men were ashamed of being decent, of being sober, of being well-spoken, of being educated, of being gentle, of being conscientious, as in America." As usual, Spaw was exaggerating. But there is an undeniable kernel of truth in his criticism.Such value-agnos…
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Correspondence

Exchange with Dr. Plunkett about "A Moral Mission for Colleges" (1986)

Dear Dr. Lamm: You are to be congratulated for your October 14th article on the moral mission of colleges. Your statement of the principles contained in your article was long overdue, and it was as clear and concise a message that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. As the new Chairman of the Council of Governing Boards in New York State, I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to reflect on your message and to circulate it to many of my fellow Trustees in the state. We hope to use your article and many of the thoughts contained therein as a foundation for some of the work that we hope to accomplish throughout the state in the years to come.Congratulations and best wishes.Sincerely yours,William F. Plunkett, Jr. WFP/td17 Elk StreetP.O. Box 7149Albany, NY 12224518/436
The University General Education

Correspondence

Exchange with Dr. Zack about "A Moral Mission for Colleges" (1986)

Dear President Lamm: I read your October 14 New York Times piece, "A Moral Mission for Colleges, with great interest. It was an exceptionally well-written piece, and one with which I disagree deeply. I have written a responding essay, "A Moral Mission for Colleges, 2nd Edition," which I am enclosing for your interest. I have submitted my thoughts to the Times (as well as to our local university paper.) However, regardless of whether it reaches that readership, I wanted to share them with you as well.Should you have any comments, I would be most happy to hear from you.SincerelyBrian G. Zack, M.D. University Physician(609) 452-4451BGZ:msA Moral Mission for Colleges, 2nd EditionBrian G. Zack, M.D.32 Stetson Way Princeton, NJ 98540 (609) 452-4451 - office (609) 924-6391 - homeNorman Lamm's essay, "A Moral Mission for Colleges" (The New York Times Op-Ed Page, Oct. 14) stands desperately in need of rebuttal. The eloquence of his pen and the depth of his feeling effectively disguise an argument which means nothing at best and which, at worst, is a call for moral indoctrination.Mr. Lamm asserts that today's universities are delinquent in not offering their students "moral guidance" and deplores their "permitting a generation of students to grow up as ethical illiterates and moral idiots." He maintains that universities should, and by implication currently don't, "encourage a moral climate that elicits respect for the human spirit," and solemnly declares that "knowledge ought to ripen into wisdom" and that "human beings... are certainly the purpose of education."In what sense is all this to be understood? The non-sectarian colleges and universities of today do not advocate a suspension of morality or teach disrespect for the human spirit. It would be exceedingly difficult to find an educator of any persuasion who felt that knowledge ought not to ripen into wisdom or that the purpose of education was anything but the elevation and enlightenment of human beings. At this level…
The University General Education