COA Magazine: Vol 1. No 1. Winter 2005

a multicultural curriculum or absorb the decona background in physics. As undergraduate roomstructionist critique of knowledge. The traditional mates at Yale they shared a passion for Alfred disciplines have given way to even further subNorth Whitehead’s process philosophy. They were divisions. Irreversible splits separate younger and a masterful team who brought speculative metaold-guard faculty over stands on structuralism and physics to life in classes, over lunches, and late post-structuralism, essence versus interpretation, into the night on faculty retreats. At the beginning sameness fighting difference and so on. Noneof the fall term in 1982 Dick died unexpectedly. theless, COA has found a path through this prickThe shock was shared by everyone; it left an enorly labyrinth. Human ecology and postmodernism mous hole in the faculty. have discovered a way not only to co-exist, but to One of COA’s first encounters with “postbe enlarged by the dialog and grow together. modernism” came the following spring during I am reminded of a hand-written explanatory the search for a new philosopher to replace Dick. note by Whitehead himself near the end of his [Bill Carpenter and I were members of that comcareer. A facsimile of the letter is included as a mittee, and I think we both have an indelible preface to The Library of Living Philosophers volmemory of the events.] Some of the applications ume on his life work. “The procame from people whose areas “Now, as in the beginning, gress of philosophy,” he said, of expertise were unfamiliar, so “does not primarily involve reDan served as a consultant to COA upholds the commitactions of agreement or dissent. the committee. He reviewed all ment that everyone will be It essentially consists in the the resumes and gave us his enlargement of thought, whereby thoughts. One bit of advice at the table. Whether this is contradictions and agreements projected a hint of mystery: called a grand narrative or are transformed into partial as“Beware,” he cautioned, “of pects of wider points of view.” trendy French philosophy.” His a great discourse may have There will always be a need to reference was to the blossoming more to do with who is chair think critically, to interpret and renew phenomenon of “deconof that day’s meeting. The interpret theories or institutions struction,” which ironically beor texts. Complexities will inevitcame one of the very issues reason seems to lie in the ably unfold. Contradictions will over which the committee grew robust openness of our arise forever. So, too, will a need increasingly divided. The search to put things back together. Now, stalled and had to be terminated. founding philosophy.” as in the beginning, COA upholds No one was hired. ~ Rich Borden the commitment that everyone Another three years passed will be at the table. Whether this before the position was finally is called a grand narrative or a great discourse may filled. It took John Visvader’s broad-minded phihave more to do with who is chair of that day’s losophy and commitment to human ecology to get meeting. The reason seems to lie in the robust things going again. John helped to relaunch a new openness of our founding philosophy. From the philosophical core for COA from the classical outset, the intent was to eschew orthodoxy, to roots of eastern and western thought to the front remain bigger than any “ism,” and above all to hold edges of postmodern criticism. Many more ideas to the distinctiveness of a genuinely interdiscipliand methodologies—from critical theory, contemnary foundation. The circle is unbroken—now porary feminism and postmodern interpretation— including wider points of view. were added by Karen Waldron, Etta Kralovec, Suzanne Morse, Todd Little-Siebold, Kate Frank and David Camp. These and other faculty have filled out the next generation of inquiry and conRich Borden, Dave Camp and Bill Carpenter are on the tinue its transformation and enrichment. faculty of College of the Atlantic. Andrea Lepcio, ’79 Many institutions have been wracked by is a playwright and teacher living in New York City. attempts to revise the traditional canon, to create COA | 45