本研究乃由于国内大学法之修订，而引发出研究之兴趣。盖因有关大学之自主性，学术研究之自由，教师伦理，学生参与等问题已引起不少的讨论与回响。为此，亟欲以民主社会之美国高等教育机构，所涉及的相关问题为题材，作为探究的范围，以期能有借镜之处。本研究计有研究缘起、研究问题，美国高等教育哲学之渊源，美国学院及大学之功能，学术自主，学术自由，精英教育或大众教育，文雅教育或专门教育，教师伦理及学生参与等，为探究之重点。其中有历史资料之引用，有问题之分析，亦有信念之确立，以期对美国高等教育哲学，有一了解，而有助于某些观念的澄清。

Due to common concern with higher education a number of critical problems were discussed by educators last year before the Ministry of Education took action to change the Law of University. Some issues, for example, the legitimacy of university, academic autonomy, academic freedom, students' participation in affairs on campus, were presented in a variety of forms to the educational forum. This paper is trying to explore the above-mentioned issues in the United States. It is hoped that by this research work several basic concepts in the field of higher education will be clarified and the ambiguity of those terms will be removed.