大學之道，在明明德乎？相信當今社會已不大理會什麼大學之道，大學生已不再算是什麼，如果你是夠積極的話，其實你大可以認為大學生俯拾皆是是一個社會進步的鐵証。
若大學之道不再是明明德的話，其實究竟現在大學其實究竟算是什麼？大學是一個職業培訓的場地，一個社交場合，還是像交稅一樣是人生必經的階段？對我來說，讀大學可能是我的興趣，我喜歡上大學和跟我喜歡看電影、聽音樂、踢波和去旅行差不多。
要了解大學之道、或者大學的意義、什或樂趣究竟是什麼，從一些熱門的科目可能較難知道，因為那些科目如BBA、法律、醫學等等較市場或需求主導的科目，我們對這些科目的理解會傾向為大學對市場作出的反應，我們便很容易會認為大學的價值或意議就是市場需求的價值，亦即是那種以為讀完一個BBA Degree，就應有一個BBA Degree的回報，從而將BBA Degree的回報等於BBA Degree或大學的價值和意義。
這種 “應有此報” 的想法其實非常合理，但循此方向去想的話就會忽視了大學覆雜或難以理解之處。香港較傳統的幾間大學如港大、中大、浸大等等有不少近乎無市場價值的科目，你又可以稱這些學科為供應主導，部份如歷史、哲學、文學、數學、生物等歷史久遠的科目你或可以稱那些科目的存在是歷史因素，約定習成。但前述３間大學有些較創新或獨特的科目，看完那些科目簡介後相信連校方也大惑不解。
浸大有一個BA in Humanities的Degree，最神奇這個Degree的Director看來也解釋不到為何你要讀這個Degree。
“If the Humanities Programme sounds interesting to you, you should also ask yourself questions about your future: As I mature and gain more experience and knowledge, what sorts of careers might I explore? What sorts of professions employ people with a liberal education? Am I interested in pursuing an advanced degree in any of the Humanities fields? What kind of life am I leading to? If you enjoy answering such questions by exploring many possibilities, the Humanities may be a good home for you.”
這個介紹十分有莊子天問的色彩。the Humanities may be a good home for you單從這一句就知道撰寫此文者如何心虛。
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中大方面也有一個十分現代的語言學及現代語言系。看完該網頁介紹後，我肯這是一個奉行愉快地學習的科目：
“If you say yes to any of the following, then Linguistics is definitely for you!
· I wonder why there are so many different languages.
· I like to travel and learn more about other cultures.
· Some languages are endangered. I’d like to save them.
· I want to know if it is true that ”Babies pick up languages like a sponge.”
· I’d like to help robots learn to talk!
· People often say language is unique to humans. I want to find out
if animals have language systems too.
· I saw people communicate by signing to each other. Is that a language?“
單看介紹，就知道語言學及現代語言系是一個夢想處處的世界。
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最後，我相信我所修讀港大的比較文學系才是一門終極大惑不解的科目。不是跟你說笑：
“How does cultural and social life affect the way we see the world?
Does my culture accept unquestioningly a particular system of values or does it argue over them?
How do films tell stories differently from prose narratives?
Why are certain kinds of stories particularly popular, for example the pop-song, the detective story or the romance and how do they effect the way we see the world?
Do men use cultural power to exploit women?
How does culture determine what we perceive or, I could say, how does it construct our subjectivity?
Because all these texts appeal to the imagination, they are fun to watch and read, and because our imagination is stimulated, they enliven our minds and make us better able to understand the contemporary world.
Welcome to Comparative Literature....“
若果你跟我一樣，認為讀大學的意義只是一門興趣，讀比較文學正是你付諸實行的好機會，包你感覺有如上了３年興趣班一樣。
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