4.0852 Responses: ISI Conference; German E-Mail (3/80)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Wed, 26 Dec 90 14:38:58 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0852. Wednesday, 26 Dec 1990.


(1) Date: 20 Dec 90 18:03:15 EST (32 lines)
From: James O'Donnell <JODONNEL@PENNSAS.UPENN.EDU>
Subject: 4.0845 ... Intercollegiate Studies Institute

(2) Date: Fri, 21 Dec 1990 11:39:37 EST (18 lines)
From: TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU (Tom Rusk Vickery)
Subject: RE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute

(3) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 90 20:25:20 EST (30 lines)
From: Ed Haupt <haupt@pilot.njin.net>
Subject: "ehemalige" DDR E-mail

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 20 Dec 90 18:03:15 EST
From: James O'Donnell <JODONNEL@PENNSAS.UPENN.EDU>
Subject: 4.0845 ... Intercollegiate Studies Institute

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, to judge by the telephone book,
works out of a single office in a small office building about half a
mile from my apartment: the sort of building with odds and ends of
lawyers and dentists. A student at Penn some years ago had to do with
them about getting a scholarship to support her graduate study at
Toronto. My impression was of a small, zealous, not especially
eccentric, but distinctly conservative organization. I would infer that
the conference announced on "Western Tradition v. Deconstruction" is
expected to declare unambiguously in favor of "Western Tradition".

Now we all know when Deconstruction came into the critical argot; my
question is, can anyone say when "Western Tradition" came into use in
the sense employed nowadays? My guess is that it would not antedate
1800, and perhaps not 1900. (I do know that "Judaeo-Christian", to
judge from OED, is a term invented as a pejorative in the 19th century
for agnostic anti-Christian use: the implication was that organized
Christianity had so far foresworn its origins that it was now every bit
as hidebound by legalism and ritual as Judaism was presumed to be; the
polemical effectiveness of the term lay in lumping Jews together with
Christians, the latter of whom would be presumed to be offended by the
association. When "Judaeo-Christian" turned around and became an
eirenic and platitudinous way of evoking the wisdom and tolerance that
Judaism and Christianity are presumed to share, I do not know; but it
seems to me a usage of a piece with the mythical creature, "Western
Tradition."

J.J. O'Donnell
Classics, U. of Penn.
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------29----
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 1990 11:39:37 EST
From: TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU (Tom Rusk Vickery)
Subject: RE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Alan McKinzie's note concerning the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's
conference on the western tradition and deconstruction makes me wish that
I could sample the conference. If anyone is going and gets good papers
to share, I hope they put them on the list or at least share the
information of what each did and how we might order those of interst.

Thanks a bunch.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Tom Rusk Vickery, 265 Huntington Hall *
* Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340 *
* 315-443-3450 TVICKERY@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(3) --------------------------------------------------------------43----
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 90 20:25:20 EST
From: Ed Haupt <haupt@pilot.njin.net>
Subject: "ehemalige" DDR E-mail

Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Ess !

Please pardon the ironic germanicization of the address. I, too, tried
to get some E-Mail somewhere east of the old border. I found two
adressess in UUNET for Humboldt Uni(versit"at) and tried to send one.
No answer yet, but then my physical mail hasn't got an answer yet.

I then spent time trying to find out what's going on. Manfred Stassen
of the American Institute of Contemporary German Studies (Hopkins) told
me that the phone lines are still so wretched that nothing goes through,
now that Germans are trying to use phones like normal people, rather than
as a privilege bestowed by the "Bonzen".

If you really want to try, the best contact I have had is with a
postmaster type named Kai Scharwacht, at Uni Dortmund. He provides
reassurance, but not a lot more.

unido!ks@relay.eu.net

has worked for me as an address, but I wouldn't like to see this good
soul, who does English just fine, overloaded.

Hope this helps.

Ed Haupt (haupt@pilot.njin.net--Dept. of Psych., Montclair St. (New
Jersey)