《高等教育哲学》是布鲁贝克讨论大学存在理由和运行原则的重要著作。全书围绕着高深的学问、学术自由, 大学自治以及课程组织、高等教育社会责任展开。作者把高等教育的基础概括为认识论和政治论两条线索, 前者强调了知识追求的内在价值, 后者强调了大学对于公共生活和社会发展的回应。本文认为本书的意义不在于提供具体的管理方案, 而在于帮助读者重新理解大学的性质。它告诉我们, 一所大学既不能脱离社会也不能完全被短期指标牵引, 即使是在今天, 尤其是当高等教育日趋大众化和高校评价压力越来越大时, 这种思考仍然有较强现实意义。 

On the Philosophy of Higher Education is an important work by Brubacher discussing the reason for existence and operational principles of the university. The book revolves around advanced knowledge, academic freedom, university autonomy, curriculum organization, and the social responsibility of higher education. The author summarizes the foundations of higher education as two threads: the epistemological and the political. The former emphasizes the intrinsic value of the pursuit of knowledge, while the latter emphasizes the university’s responsiveness to public life and social development. This review argues that the book’s significance lies in not in providing specific management solutions, but in helping readers re-understand the nature of the university. It tells us that a university can neither be detached from society nor be entirely driven by short-term indicators. Even today, especially when higher education is becoming increasingly massified and the pressure of university evaluation is growing, this way of thinking remains highly relevant.