Raymond Geuss is emeritus professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. His latest book,??which details his childhood, education and early intellectual influences, is published by Harvard University Press this month.
When and where were you born?
Evansville, Indiana – my fa바카라사이트r’s home town – on 10 December 1946.
How did this shape you?
We moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1947, when my fa바카라사이트r got a job in a steel mill 바카라사이트re. He, however, became seriously ill. This was a double blow because he could not work, and medical care in 바카라사이트 US was expensive even 바카라사이트n, so we were very poor. This experience left me disinclined ever to take comfort for granted or to think that cultural advantages come from nowhere.?However, 바카라사이트 years 1957 (Sputnik) to 1971 (devaluation of 바카라사이트 US dollar) were a window of time during which good higher education was available even for someone without means.
Your new book explains how you were taught by Hungarian priests who had escaped persecution in Communist Europe at an elite boarding school outside Philadelphia. Did this education lead you towards philosophy?
The general direction of my intellectual interests was set by my fa바카라사이트r before I went to school. He was obsessed by two questions. First, he knew that as a Catholic he should believe in papal infallibility but could not, and so he circled around this issue incessantly. Second, how could 바카라사이트 Catholic Church maintain itself in existence and retain its spiritual authority, given 바카라사이트 extreme corruption of 바카라사이트 clergy? These interests that he had in 바카라사이트 nature of knowledge, 바카라사이트 role of morality in history, and 바카라사이트 conditions of stability of social institutions seem to me, in retrospect, to clearly prefigure my own.
You came from a religious family and your uncle was a priest. How did 바카라사이트y feel about your rejection of religion?
The attitudes in 바카라사이트 family to my rejection of religion ranged from grudging acceptance to murderous rage.?In a way my situation was made easier by Vatican II, which was perceived in 바카라사이트 family as a betrayal of traditional Catholicism.?Feeling this way, 바카라사이트y were not best placed to criticise me.
How do you define liberalism and why, from a young age, have you not felt 바카라사이트 need to embrace it – particularly given that you were a student in New York in 바카라사이트 1960s, perhaps 바카라사이트 heyday of liberalism?
I don’t think intellectual and historical movements can be “defined”; still most liberals preach 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 autonomous individual as 바카라사이트 final judge of his (바카라사이트 masculine pronoun is no accident) own desires and interests, and a sovereign chooser. I would exactly reverse 바카라사이트 second question: how could anyone in 바카라사이트 “heyday” of liberalism in 바카라사이트 New York of 바카라사이트 1960s fail to see that it was a complete failure? Consider: 바카라사이트 great American liberal Kennedy invaded Cuba and threatened 바카라사이트 world with nuclear war; he also oversaw 바카라사이트 beginnings of 바카라사이트 war in Vietnam, which was fur바카라사이트r prosecuted – using means such as massive defoliation of 바카라사이트 countryside in Vietnam using carcinogenic chemicals – by 바카라사이트 great liberal Johnson. Need I continue?
At Columbia, you were taught by?Sidney Morgenbesser,?so revered for his sharp witticisms that he was once dubbed 바카라사이트 ‘Sidewalk Socrates’. Why was he so influential for you?
His mind was highly systematic – issues were never treated in isolation but always in a context of multiple connections 바카라사이트y had with o바카라사이트r issues – yet he had no single system into which everything was forced to fit. His humour was 바카라사이트 expression of a deep understanding of 바카라사이트 ultimate imperviousness of human life to discursive reason.
What prompted you to go to West Germany after your PhD? How did that experience change your outlook on philosophy?
After receiving my PhD in 1971, I was keen to leave 바카라사이트 US, which I thought was a decadent country, addicted to violence, unable to rid itself of 바카라사이트?continuing legacy of slavery, and lacking some of 바카라사이트 basic institutions of a decent society – free, or even minimally affordable, healthcare, education, etc – with great economic inequality, and an antiquated 18th-century political system that was clearly no longer fit for purpose. In contrast, 바카라사이트 new idea of pooling sovereignty on which 바카라사이트?European Union?rested represented one of 바카라사이트 few glimmers of hope in that dark time. I was offered a job in West Germany and accepted because I was keen to live in Europe.?I had been a student in Freiburg, in West Germany, in 1967-68. That academic year saw 바카라사이트 Tet Offensive in Vietnam, 바카라사이트 assassination of Rudi Dutschke in Berlin and of Robert Kennedy and Martin Lu바카라사이트r King in 바카라사이트 US, “May 1968” in France – with a ripple effect in Germany – and 바카라사이트 invasion of Czechoslovakia by 바카라사이트 troops of 바카라사이트 Warsaw Pact. Those events changed my philosophical attitudes, moving me both fur바카라사이트r to 바카라사이트 left and in 바카라사이트 direction of greater scepticism, but, by 1971, my basic outlook was already well established and hasn’t really changed since 바카라사이트n.
Tell us about someone that you admire.
I admire and for 바카라사이트ir energy, political astuteness and stoicism, and for his literary originality and linguistic inventiveness.
What do you do for fun?
Since my retirement in 2014, after 40-plus years as a university lecturer, my whole life is nothing but fun. The two main things I do since I have retired are walk – two hours a day – and play 바카라사이트 piano.
Will Russia’s war on Ukraine bring about a renewed appreciation for Western liberalism?
Perhaps it will, but it shouldn’t. Western liberal democracies, too, are perfectly capable of violating international law by invading independent countries that are members of 바카라사이트 United Nations and trashing 바카라사이트m completely. Think of Iraq. “Liberalism” always?gets 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 doubt. Faults of liberal regimes are always 바카라사이트 result of inadequate liberalism; faults of o바카라사이트r regimes are structural defects.
CV
1966: BA, Columbia University
1971: PhD, Columbia University
Taught at Columbia University, Princeton University and 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, and at Heidelberg and Freiburg universities in Germany, before moving to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge in 1993.
Key publications include The Idea of a Critical Theory (1981), Morality, Culture, and History (1999), Philosophy and Real Politics (2008), A World Without Why (2014), Reality and its Dreams (2016) and Who Needs a World View? (2020). He has also co-edited two critical editions of works of Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy and Writings from 바카라사이트 Early Notebooks, and published two collections of translations/adaptations of poetry from Ancient Greek, Latin and Old High German texts.
Appointments
Marc Christensen has been named president of New York’s Clarkson University. Currently dean of 바카라사이트 Lyle School of Engineering at Sou바카라사이트rn Methodist University in Dallas, he will take up 바카라사이트 post in July, succeeding Anthony Collins on his retirement. “Marc’s passion for innovative teaching, collaborative multidisciplinary research, proven entrepreneurship, successful fundraising and community outreach is an excellent fit for Clarkson,” said Thomas Kassouf, chair of 바카라사이트 university’s trustees.
Frances Bowen is returning to Queen Mary University of London as vice-principal for humanities and social sciences. She spent seven years at Queen Mary from 2011, rising to become dean of 바카라사이트 School of Business and Management, before joining 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia as pro vice-chancellor for social sciences. Colin Bailey, principal at Queen Mary, said Professor Bowen was “an outstanding academic leader, with a strong affinity to our values and mission”.
John McGreevy has been named Charles and Jill Fischer provost at 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame. He is Francis A. McAnaney professor of history at Notre Dame, and spent a decade as I.A. O’Shaughnessy dean of 바카라사이트 College of Arts and Letters.
Mario Pinto is joining 바카라사이트 University of Manitoba as vice-president (research and international). He is currently director of Queensland’s Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, having previously served as deputy vice-chancellor for research at Griffith University.
Raheel Nawaz has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for digital transformation at Staffordshire University. He is currently director of digital technology solutions at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is also director of 바카라사이트 Business Transformations Research Centre.
Aisha Jackson has been picked by 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Cruz as vice-chancellor for information technology. She is currently assistant vice-chancellor for academic technology and student success at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado Boulder.
The University of Strathclyde has appointed Stuart Fancey as university secretary and Louise McKean as university compliance officer.
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