The 14 essays in this book, written from 1938 through 1995, examine the modern research university, focusing on the relationship of these institutions to government, academic freedom, and the responsibilities of the academic profession. The book contends that the university has been deflected from its essential commitment to teaching, learning, and research; and that universities have been distracted and damaged by undue pressures from government, the fads sweeping some faculties and student bodies, and an increasing involvement with ephemeral questions. The essays are: (1) "The Order of Learning in the United States from 1865 to 1920: The Ascendancy of the Universities"; (2) "Universities Since 1900: A Historical Perspective"; (3) "The Services of Society and the Advancement of Learning in the Twenty-First Century"; (4) "The Academic Ethos Under Strain"; (5) "The American Private University"; (6) "Governments and Universities"; (7) "Dreams of Plenitude, Nightmares of Scarcity"; (8) "Academic Freedom"; (9) "Academic Freedom and Permanent Tenure"; (10) "Limitations on the Freedom of Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences"; (11) "The Criteria of Academic Appointment" (12) "The Invitation to Caesar"; (13) "The Confidentiality and Anonymity of Assessment"; and (14) "The University: A Backward Glance." A bibliography of the published works of Edward Shils is also included. (Individual essays contain references.) (DB)