Peter K Fallon
Abstract
Higher education in the United States of America over the last few decades has been undergoing an undeniably profound shift; in form, in philosophy, in mission, in goals. This paper seeks to describe that shift and identify the factors that have directed it, reshaped the structure of US higher education, and reframed our attitudes, beliefs and expectations about it.
It is a fundamental hypothesis and assumption of this paper that technique and the values of the technological society have come to dominate academia and wield the same power there as they do in (what I will call) “the secular world.” The adoption of technical values in higher education must result in academia being reduced to a mere adjunct of the technological society, a seminary of the technical belief system.
It is an assumption of this paper that both practical and liberal knowledge are of equal value and both should be seen as an appropriate end. But the paper also claims that one of the two, in fact, is disappearing.
The paper uses both the theories of Jacques Ellul (as tools of critical analysis of the surveyed data) and his theology (to evaluate the data, draw conclusions, and suggest approaches to understanding – and living with – the stated problem).
Peter K Fallon
Roosevelt University
Faculty Member
Peter K. Fallon is Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He is the author of three books
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