Leon Kass’s Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities from last night. geLooking for an Honest Manf: Reflections of an Unlicensed Humanisth was largely autobiographical, describing his Socratic turns from science and conventional political and religious thought to a richer understanding of the human condition, to comprehending what a mensch is. Kass will likely be the only mensch ever to be honored by both the Thomas Jefferson Award and the Tocqueville Forum’s Father James V. Schall Teaching Award, honors named after a denouncer of priests and an eminent contemporary priest.
Awesome. I was surprised (and pleased) to hear of the central role that Rousseau's 1st Discourse played in his intellectual itinerary.
Yes, I was too. Don't underestimate the power of these texts. But are students still moved by texts the way they were 20-40 years ago?