Abstract

Now-a-days, the universities of the U.S. and the University of California, Los Angeles, more than most, occupy a central position in society. Directly and indirectly, through instruction, research, and public service, they have come to influence in some measure the life of people. They have brought this country to world prominence in science and technology, the professions, and many other academic fields. Yet neither the author, nor any other observer of the American intellectual scene can find cause for complacency about that scene today. It is the anguish about such issues that has led to different kinds of responses and thus the divisions in the intellectual community. One response is that of the alienated, who feel that concerted intellectual efforts to solve broad social problems have failed. Another response to the contemporary scene is the passionate determination of the activists to find solutions to the social ills by whatever means may be necessary. A third major response to contemporary issues is the traditional intellectual response.