Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame

Kenneth M. Sayre

Description

Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame recounts the fascinating history of the University of Notre Dame's Department of Philosophy, chronicling the challenges, difficulties, and tensions that accompanied its transition from an obscure outpost of scholasticism in the 1940s into one of the more distinguished philosophy departments in the world today. Its author, Kenneth Sayre, who has been a faculty member for over five decades, focuses on the people of the department, describing what they were like, how they got along with each other, and how their personal predilections and ambitions affected the affairs of the department overall.

The book follows the department’s transition from its early Thomism to the philosophical pluralism of the 1970s, then traces its drift from pluralism to what Sayre terms "professionalism,” resulting in what some perceive as a severance from its Catholic roots by the turn of the century. Each chapter includes an extensive biography of an especially prominent department member, along with biographical sketches of other philosophers arriving during the period it covers. Central to the story overall are the charismatic Irishmen Ernan McMullin and Ralph McInerny, whose interaction dominated affairs in the department in the 1960s and 1970s, and who continued to play major roles in the following decades. Philosophers throughout the English-speaking world will find Adventures in Philosophy at Notre Dame essential reading. The book will also appeal to readers interested in the history of the University of Notre Dame and of American higher education generally.

Sujets

• Personal Memoirs
• Philosophers
• EDUCATION
• Lettres et linguistique
• Universidad de Notre Dame
• Ralph McInerny
• Philosophy
• Ernan McMullin
• Biography
• Thomism
• Notre Dame
• University of Notre Dame
• Autobiography
• History
• Université Notre-Dame

Informations

• Publié par: University of Notre Dame Press
• Date de parution: 30 avril 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780268092856
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

ADVENTURES in PHILOSOPHY at NOTRE DAME
KENNETH M. SAYRE
University of Notre Dame Press
Notre Dame, Indiana
Copyright © 2014 by University of Notre Dame
Published by the University of Notre Dame Press
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 undpress.nd.edu -->
All Rights Reserved
E-ISBN 978-0-268-09285-6
This e-Book was converted from the original source file by a third-party vendor. Readers who notice any formatting, textual, or readability issues are encouraged to contact the publisher at [e-mail] Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sayre, Kenneth M., 1928– Adventures in philosophy at Notre Dame / Kenneth M. Sayre. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-268-01784-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-268-01784-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. University of Notre Dame. Department of Philosophy—History. 2. Philosophy—Study and teaching (Higher)—Indiana—Notre Dame— History. 3. Philosophy teachers—Indiana—Notre Dame—History. 4. College teachers—Indiana—Notre Dame—History. I. Title. B52.65.N68S29 2014 107.1'177289—dc23 2013044544 ∞The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. -->
To Ernan, Ralph, and other companions on the journey.
CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgments
Prologue
Part I. From Thomism to Pluralism
Chapter One. A Bastion of Thomism
Joe Bobik and the Pope
Philosophy and Football
The Cage
The Early Curriculum
People and Places
Distinguished Visitors
Early Specialists
The Status Quo
The “Campus Maverick”
Chapter Two. Breaching the Ramparts
Early Steps in the Pursuit of Excellence
Fr. Hesburgh Takes Charge
Joseph I. M. Bochenski, OP, a Force of Nature
Ernan McMullin, a Man of Many Parts
Thomism on the Wane
Chapter Three. The Gates Swing Open
Ralph McInerny, Kierkegaard Scholar
Bochenski’s Logicians
The Fribourg Aristocrats
Analytic Philosophy Enters the Scene
Thomism Exits under a Cloud
Chapter Four. Pluralism
Pluralism in the Offing
Priests in the Department from 1960 Onward
The “Wittgenstein Reading Group”
Friday Colloquia
McMullin’s Conference on the Concept of Matter
The Carnegie Summer Institute
The Perspective Series
The Committee on Appointments and Promotions
The Sellarsians
Pluralism, Pros and Cons
Part II. From Pluralism to Professionalism
Chapter Five. Centers and Institutes
Philosophers at the Helm of the Medieval Institute
Ralph Takes Command of the Maritain Center
The Glory Days of the Philosophic Institute
ND’s Celebrated Center for Philosophy of Religion
The Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values
Chapter Six. Sea Change
Keeping Different Company
The Princeton Incursion
Philip Quinn and the APA
Gender and Related Matters
Specialization Takes Over
Reshaping the Graduate Program
Correlative Changes in the Undergraduate Program
Chapter Seven. Professional Philosophy
Rankings
CVs and Other Forms of Self-Presentation
The Business of Academic Research
Endowed Chairs
The Marketing Power of Professional Journals
Developing the Product Line
The Department Adrift
Chapter Eight. Entering the New Millennium
The 2000 External Review
The Department’s Response
The Center for Ethics and Culture
Fr. Jenkins and The Vagina Monologues
The Alternative Commencement
The Obama Commencement: Three Speeches
Time Present and Time Future
Heartwood and Sapwood, Both Parts of a Living Tree
Epilogue: Ernan’s Memorial Mass
Appendix A. Philosophy Faculty, 1950–2010
Appendix B. CAP Membership, 1967–2010
Appendix C. Administrators
Philosophy Department Chairs, 1920–2010
Arts and Letters Deans, 1919–2010
University Provosts, 1970–2010
University Presidents, 1946–2010
Notes
Bibliography Index 370 -->
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is a story about the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Philosophy. It covers a period extending roughly from the mid-1930s through the first decade of the new millennium. I have been a member of this department since 1958.
The story is based on my own memories, on the memories of other early department members, on documents in Philosophy Department files and in the University of Notre Dame Archives, on books and other published accounts dealing with academic matters during this period, and on material currently available on the Internet. Whenever possible, these sources are documented in endnotes.
I am pleased to thank the following colleagues for prearranged interviews: Scott Appleby, Ani Aprahamian, Brian Daly, Bernard Doering, Thomas Flint, Philip Gleason, Theodore Hesburgh, John Jenkins, Edward Malloy, Marvin O’Connell, Alvin Plantinga, John Robinson, Kristin Shrader-Frechette, and Catherine Schlegel.
I am especially grateful to the following both for prearranged interviews and for several unscheduled conversations related to the book: David Burrell, Cornelius Delaney, Michael Loux, Vaughn McKim, Timothy O’Meara, David Solomon, and Paul Weithman. Special thanks are due Delaney, Loux, and McKim for reading large portions of the manuscript in draft form.
Other colleagues who have been helpful on occasion include Patricia Blanchette, Sheilah Brennan, Alfred Freddoso, Patrick Gaffney, Gary Gutting, Donald Howard, Lynn Joy, John O’Callaghan, David O’Connor, Alice Osberger, Phillip Sloan, and Leopold Stubenberg.
Former colleagues and students who contributed by email, by telephone, or in direct conversation include Richard Conklin, Andrew Chronister, James Doig, Milton Fisk, Richard Foley, Stanley Hauerwas, Guido Küng, Anita Pampusch, and Charles Quinn.
Others from outside the university whose input has been especially valuable include Julia Annas, Marcia LeMay, Kevin McDonough, and Anthony Simon.
Seemingly endless support in gathering data has been provided by Montey Holloway, LinDa Grams, and the staff of the University of Notre Dame Archives.
I am especially indebted to Ernan McMullin, whose contributions to the book proved indispensable. During the last year of his life, Ernan spent many hours with me in a series of prearranged interviews. He also sent me several recorded tapes and emails sharing his memories of the early department. Particularly helpful was his reading of several chapters in draft form for accuracy.
Above all, I am grateful to my wife, Patricia Ann White Sayre, for her untiring help in the composition of this book. A consummate philosophy teacher and keen literary critic, Patti has been personally involved in affairs of the Philosophy Department since 1980. She read each chapter critically through several stages of composition, and made many insightful suggestions about the emerging narrative shape of the story overall. Countless hours spent discussing the project with her as it developed contributed importantly to its accomplishment.
The image of Fr. Joseph M. Bochenski, OP, is reproduced with permission of the copyright holder, Fribourg State University Library (Switzerland). I am grateful for that privilege. I thank the University of Notre Dame Archives for permission to copy the seven other photographs reproduced in the text.
It should be noted finally that the views expressed in this book are my own and are not necessarily shared by the University of Notre Dame, by all members of its Philosophy Department, or by the University of Notre Dame Press.
Prologue

Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future
And time future contained in time past.
—T. S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Time passes at Notre Dame like everywhere else, despite the aura of eternal presence projected by the Golden Dome. Constructed of iron and steel with a thin overlay of almost pure gold, the Dome is probably the best-known campus landmark in the world. It is held in awe by generations of loyal ND fans, a good number of whom have been my students.
I confess I had not heard of the Golden Dome before arriving at ND to begin teaching in the fall of 1958. And once on campus, a week or so must have passed before I even noticed it. I had come from a Protestant background and received degrees from distinctly non-Catholic institutions (Grinnell College, BA; Harvard University, MA, PhD). What is more, these institutions had failed to endow me with the slightest interest in college football. So when I arrived at ND to begin my new job, I had no prior association with its culture for the Golden Dome to symbolize.
The reader might well ask how such an unlikely prospect found his way to the home of the Fighting Irish in the first place. This is a question I used to ask myself. The answer begins with Fr. Henri Dulac, a diocesan priest who taught philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Fr. Dulac had arranged a leave of absence that enabled him to teach a year at ND and then to spend a year at Harvard (1956–57) as a visiting scholar. We often spent time together discussing philosophy. One day he surprised me by asking whether I might consider teaching at ND after completing my PhD. It seemed that ND was looking for a few people to teach contemporary philosophy, and Fr. Dulac thought I was a plausible candidate.
Surprised though I was, the prospect of spending a year or so at ND was intriguing, and I decided to pursue the ma