Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Tussman

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Joseph Tussman, who is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and former chairman of the Department of Philosophy at UC Berkeley. His publications include Obligation and the Body Politic, Government and the Mind, The Burden of Office, and The Beleaguered College.

1. Background ... influence of parents ... books read in youth ... education ... influence of Alexander Meiklejohn ... experience in World War II
2. The Art of Politics ... definition of politics ... public versus private ... obligations of political life ... politics as deliberation ... tragic problem of leadership ... respected modern leaders
3. Education ... initiation into political life ... ethics rather than science ... "teaching power" as peer to legislative, executive, and judicial powers ... the role of the citizen
4. The Experimental College ... lower-division students ... required reading ... objections ... difficulty with faculty ... undergraduate liberal education ... relevance of the classics
5. Lessons Learned ... poetry and literature ... rejection of "marketplace" paradigm ... don't give up on political life ... note of hope

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