"I should like very much to hear in
what possible way you connect the misconduct of Germany, which
I admit, with your idea of the present value of classical study,
which I question."
"In this way," said the professor earnestly. "Germany has been
living for fifty years with a closed mind. Oh, I grant you it was an
active mind, scientific, laborious, immensely patient. But it was
an ingrowing mind. Sure of its own superiority, it took no counsel
with antiquity and scorned the advice of its neighbors. It was
intent on producing something entirely new and all its own--a purely
German _Kultur_, independent of the past, and irresponsible
to any laws except those of Germany's interests and needs. Hence
it fell into bad habits of thought and feeling, got into trouble,
and brought infinite trouble upon the world."
"And do you claim," interrupted Hardman, "that this would have been
prevented by reading the classics? Would that have been the only
and efficient cure for Germany's disease? Rather a large claim,
that!"
"Much too large," replied the professor.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171