Hutchins replied, "No, Mr. Taft, at Yale weteach our students how to find that out forthemselves."

Reflections on the Canon's Decline

The majority of professors say the loss of theold western canon as an essential part of theundergraduate academic experience is more thancompensated for by the increased diversity ofperspectives and analysis.

"I really do think--I've been here for almost40 years--that the Harvard of today is a betterplace than it was when I came," Hoffmann says. "SoI'm not lamenting the passing of the old order."

And Vendler, while acknowledging the trade-off,nevertheless praises the new knowledge she saysstudents have gained.

"In the 17th century, they probably thoughtthat everyone should know the Bible," Vendlersays. "One can regret this. I certainly regretthat people no longer know Latin and no longerknow the Bible. On the other hand, every decreaseis matched by an increase of some sort. They knowa lot more about biology, neurobiology andreproductive control."

Ultimately, says this English professor, thecanon--no matter how much it is challenged--will"take care of itself."

"The canon is made by writers and not byprofessors or anthologists," Vendler concludes."Teachers and anthologists in the market have abrief and temporal reign for a given century."

But many say that although is no longerappropriate to mandate one body of knowledge forstudents, they miss the benefits of the oldcanon--and the old ways of teaching it.

Maier says that many of the traditional Westernworks used to provide a common ground forscholarly discussion.

"Books weren't in the canon by accident," Maiersays. "It does help when there are references."

"There are certain paradigms that literatureand philosophy give you about humanexperience--the paradigms of sin and redemption,of exile, of love and betrayal, of forbiddenknowledge," he adds. "Soap operas give us theseparadigms all the time, so why don't we give themat a level of higher artistic merit?"

And others say new perspectives can neverreplace the Western canon.

"They need Western civilization," Pipes says."With all respect for Afro-American studies andWomen's Studies they cannot compete in terms ofwealth and importance and tradition with Westerncivilization."

The canon teachers values and lessons that areessential for a good and productive life, Pipessays.