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 Alfred J. Finch, Jr., Ph.D., ABPP
Dean of Humanities & Social Sciences Colonel, SCM al.finch@citadel.edu |
Recently an interesting book by John P. Level was brought to my attention. The book was published in 1979 and entitled Neither Athens nor Sparta? Although this book is somewhat dated, it was new to me and I believe some of the issues are relevant to what we do at The Citadel.
At the time of this book, Level maintained that the four federal military academies were in trouble and needed to be transformed. The conflict seemed to arise from the increasingly academic environment and the military demands. He contended that this clash had resulted in the academies failing to graduate quality military officers. How accurate his argument was and whether or not the issues he raised have been addressed, I do not know. However, I found the book of major interest.
What is the contrast between Athens and Sparta that Level is emphasizing? Athens was named after the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, Athena. It was the symbol of freedom, art, democracy, and culture in ancient Greece and is recognized as the birth place of western civilization. Athenians focused on the development of intellectual and artistic activities. While Athens developed a strong military, it was not the center of attention nor did they start wars.
In contrast Sparta was totally military in its focus and very aggressive. From birth children were evaluated to determine their military potential. If they had limited military potential, they were killed. Spartan education began at age seven with training for military life which was intended to increase pain tolerance, discipline, and survival skills. The emphasis on military actions served to prevent the Spartans from developing lasting art and cultural contributions.
Now back to Level’s book. He describes the model originally adopted by West Point, the Naval Academy and the Coast Guard Academy as a seminary-academy model in which the courses were taught by officer-instructors who placed the emphasis on engineering, mathematics, strict discipline and recitation. He calls this the Spartan model. According to Level this model worked well until World War II when it was found to be inadequate due to the increased complexity of war. While the model was being debated, the Air Force Academy was started and adopted the same model. Modifications began at the Air Force Academy due to its relative youth. Culture and learning became more important – the Athenian model. However, this model gradually eroded due to changes in administration.
According to Level, many of the problems experienced by the academies, including the cheating scandals, have been due to their failure to keep pace with the changes in society and attempting to maintain a Spartan model while increasing the academic standards. As I stated earlier, I am sure many changes have taken place since this book was written in 1979. However, I could not help but think about how his review relates to The Citadel.
In my discussions with alumni, I have frequently been told that the academic standards at The Citadel are currently much higher than they were in previous years when they were cadets. Certainly one documented change that has taken place is the increased qualifications of the faculty. The faculty at The Citadel is nearly completely composed of individuals with terminal degrees in their area. In addition, the quality of their scholarly activities is very high. Has this change in academic demands been accounted for in the cadet life?
Another interesting observation made by alumni is that the old corps had it rougher than the current one. I remember hearing this from the senior class during my first year at The Citadel. The knobs had it too soft! Each year this statement continues. However, I see our graduates continuing to be closely bonded and proud to have been a part of the long grey line. Have any of the changes had a detrimental effect on the spirit of the corps?
The balance is what I believe is important. In Level’s book he conducted a number of interviews and one quote provides a good summary of the need for both Sparta and Athens. Vice Admiral James Calvert observed,
...this is what I mean by the balance between Athens and Sparta. Without the academic effort there, it’s Parris Island, you know, dressed up …Without the discipline, it’s Harvard with [uniforms].
As changes continue to be discussed, I would hope we can maintain the proper balance between Sparta and Athens because this model is likely to ensure that we continue to prepare our students for a changing world.
