本研究乃由於國內大學法之修訂，而引發出研究之興趣。蓋因有關大學之自主性，學術研究之自由，教師倫理，學生參與等問題已引起不少的討論與迴響。為此，亟欲以民主社會之美國高等教育機構，所涉及的相關問題為題材，作為探究的範圍，以期能有借鏡之處。本研究計有研究緣起、研究問題，美國高等教育哲學之淵源，美國學院及大學之功能，學術自主，學術自由，精英教育或大眾教育，文雅教育或專門教育，教師倫理及學生參與等，為探究之重點。其中有歷史資料之引用，有問題之分析，亦有信念之確立，以期對美國高等教育哲學，有一了解，而有助於某些觀念的澄清。

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.