Entitled ‘The Crucible and Aristotelian Moral Authority’

On Wednesday, March 20, Philosophy Professor Doug Huff will be giving a lecture sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa society entitled, “The Crucible and Aristotelian Moral Authority.”

Phi Beta Kappa sponsors the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Lecture every other year, which features a prominent national scholar who speaks on his or her field of expertise.

In recent years, Gustavus has occasionaly sponsored a local speaker, often from the campus, to speak on a topic in the liberal arts.

“This year we have formalized the biannual talk, naming it the “Eta Talk” (after our chapter name). In the future these talks will be offered every other year, alternating with the PBK Visiting Scholar program,”  Russian Studies Professor and  President of Phi Beta Kappa Denis Crnkovic said. The Phi Beta Kappa members on campus chose Professor Huff based on his “outstanding contributions to liberal arts education both generally and on campus,” Crnkovic said on the selection process.

“Since Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest honorary society in America (started by Benjamin Franklin and others) and includes scholars from many areas, I chose a topic that would cover more than one discipline.  In this case, Philosophy and Theatre,” Huff said.

The event is intended for the entire Gustavus community in order to promote the awareness and the importance of liberal arts education.

“It is hoped that students will take away a deeper appreciation for liberal arts learning as modeled by the campus’s most accomplished teachers and purveyors of education,” Crnkovic said.

“Students are well served by the modeling that “Eta Talk” speakers provide, not only for particular disciplines, but also for the key idea that integrating diverse educational subjects and experiences is crucial to liberal learning,” Crnkovic said.

In addition, there will be a question and answer session with Professor Huff after the lecture.

Junior Math Major Dan Granau, who has had several classes with professor Huff, described him as an entertaining speaker and likeable person, ending his description with, “I admire him both as a professor and as a person.”  Granau says he plans on attending the lecture and is excited to hear it.

For those interested in attending, the lecture will be occurring at 7:00 p.m. in Confer 128.