Goddess Armed
One of the major achievements of nineteenth- century liberalism was the creation of what are called `academic values'—that is, those standards of independence, objectivity and honesty in research and teaching which should make of our universities points of resistance whenever intel- lectual freedom is threatened. In the twentieth century, however, States, totalitarian in varying degrees, have tried to control and influence uni- versity life, often succeeding in destroying the values which had been painfully built up over the years. In these circumstances it is good to see that a new quarterly, Minerva, is to be devoted to these problems especially in so far as they affect the 'new' States of Africa and Asia. Its editor is Professor Edward Shils of the University of Chicago who is known to his many English friends as a kindly adviser and one of the Most acute observers of contemporary British life. The good sense and good humour with which he pro- nounces on the problems of education make a Pleasant change from the rather rancorous note often struck by writers on such matters and promise well for the future of Minerva, which, I feel sure, will always be armed in the cause of academic values but never without a healing olive branch and a sage owl somewhere in the back- ground.
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