?Dear
Readers: It is really a sad news to announce: Our
esteemed Advisor, a great philosopher and educator of our time, Dr. Lewis E. Hahn, has
passed in
A
Tribute to
Dr.
Lewis E. Hahn (1908-2004)
In a
Global Perspective
Suncrates[1]
President,
Thomé H. Fang Institute, Inc.
For
the philosophical community in East and West, no word of introduction is needed for our
beloved Master: recipient of numerous distinctions and honors, such as “Man of the
Year in Philosophy” (1967), “Award of Lifetime Achievement,” etc. The very
name “Lewis E. Hahn” itself is already a symbol: a symbol of genuineness, of
dedication, of fulfillment.
A great work is a dialogue with eternity; A great person is such a work.
In less than thirty years he has
succeeded in developing
For posterity Lewis E. Hahn will remain an object of wonder and amazement. How is it possible for a human to accomplish so
much, so well, and in so short a span of time--less than one century--in breadth and
height, in depth and diversity? Some one
hundred years ago, by bridging the New Continent and the Old, William James was thus
hailed as a great genius of international friendship in the intellectual sense; but we now
find a greater such genius in Lewis E. Hahn, who has succeeded in bridging at least four
Continents in East and West: Europe, Australia, America (both North and Latin America),
and Asia (China, Japan, India, Korea, Singapore, etc.).
To my knowledge, few of his predecessors and contemporaries as well are half so
widely read and liberal-minded as he is, in view of the range and scope of the Library of
Living Philosophers he helped continue since the passing of its founder Dr. Paul A. Schilpp. What type of man is Hahn? Our younger generation must
wonder. Only a pluralist approach could help us unriddle such
a legendary pluralist-contextualist. In one word, “A full
personality!”
As I remember, while working on my dissertation with him in the 70s, we had a brief
discussion on Confucius, the sage of ancient
As a paradigm of academic leadership,
he is just irreplaceable--a tribute I have personally heard in the late 60s in
For all such rare qualities and virtues
as he has possessed--all in the superlative degree--it is little wonder that many, many
scholars of my generation feel the same as I do: We
are fortunate and proud to be contemporary with Lewis E. Hahn, as Plato said of Socrates,
his fabulous and immortal mentor!
***************************
Memorial
for Lewis Hahn
John Howie, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
I am
remembering Lewis Hahn today as a scholar, teacher, and supportive colleague. His work on
the well recognized Library of Living Philosophers produced nine volumes which he edited
and three edited jointly with Paul Schilpp. In addition, his
lengthy bibliography attests to the tireless scholarship of this man. He was known and
admired internationally, giving presentations and addresses in
As
director of graduate studies for the department, Lewis was able and indeed sought ways
whereby he could be supportive of students. He was especially sensitive and outreaching in
his support of our Asian students, many of whom are recognized scholars today, in part, as
a result of Lewis' nurturing during their time in our graduate program.
My
personal gratitude toward Lewis, however, is due to the ongoing support that he always
offered me. As a young professor, I received this gladly, respectfully, and frequently. As
a more mature member of the department, I cherished his friendship and the willingness
with which he shared his thoughts and concerns. I always knew that I could speak with him
openly and confidentially. Receiving that professional
and
personal respect from this man was one very great boost for me throughout many years.
Lewis
and Elizabeth loved their place on
This
supportive, caring, scholarly, contributing man gave so much to so many in his special and
quiet way.
*****************************
Memorial
for Lewis Hahn
Thomas
Alexander, Professor
Director
of Graduate Studies
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
It was
a very great honor and privilege for me to be associated with Lewis at SIUC. I had grown
up in an academic family--indeed, my father was a philosophy professor--and I knew from
childhood on the world of academe when men like Lewis Hahn and my father constituted
the norm: civilized, selfless, professional, and gentle-men and scholars. It is a world
that has gone, by and large, for a corporatized and careerist
world. Lewis hardly ever had a negative comment to make. One of the two times I saw him
upset was due to a famous philosopher, one selected for a volume in the prestigious
Library of Living Philosophers, pulling out at the last minute, well after the project
was under way with essays being written. The great philosopher was stunned to learn
that he couldn't pick all the essayists from his circle of devoted followers. Lewis came
by my office to talk about his perplexity and frustration. The next day he showed up in
his Stetson--the Texan in him had gotten riled. If he had had a gun belt, he might have
worn it that day. Usually Lewis was the personification of gentleness. During a
dissertation defense he would inevitably begin with considered compliments, a ream of
editorial corrections, and criticisms posed in the most nuanced subjunctives (:It might
have been a good idea were you to have considered the possibility of doing....").
Perhaps my fondest memory of Lewis is rather odd, but it is very human. We had gone to a
conference at Santa Cruz and shared a room. I had come back late the first night and Lewis
was already in bed. After a peaceful sleep, it was time to get up. But Lewis wanted to
talk philosophy. He removed the covers and sat on the edge of his bed to continue the
discussion and I realized he had been sleeping in the buff. This was of no concern to
Lewis, who was following out some fine point of reasoning. Well, I thought, this is how
the Greeks did it, so on we went. The other memory I will share with you deals with
Lewis's love of genealogy. Again we were going to a conference--this time in
**************************
In
memory of Lewis E. Hahn
Kenneth
W. Stikkers
Professor
& Chairman
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
My earliest recollections of Lewis Hahn were as a graduate student, in the
mid-1970’s, attending the annual meetings of the Society for the Advancement of
American Philosophy. It was quickly clear to
me that Lewis’s presence was one that defined the essence of those meetings. His welcoming smile and “good to see
you,” and the civility, openness, and enthusiasm with which he entered discussions
registered a deep impression upon this graduate student.
More than 20 years later those early impressions would contribute greatly to the
honor I felt upon being asked to serve as the Chair of Lewis’s Department at SIUC.
Shortly after my arrival at SIUC in 1997 Lewis quickly made several distinct new
impressions which would provide me first hand experience of what he meant to the
Department for so long. The first was at a
prospectus defense for what would be the last dissertation on whose committee Lewis would
serve. It was clear to all of us on the
committee that the prospectus was too ambitious and lacked focus, but each of the first
four of us to speak fumbled about in our comments, unsure what advice would be most
helpful to the student. Lewis spoke last,
laying out four concise points of constructive criticism, leaving the rest of us simply to
nod in agreement: at 88 he had hit the nail on
the head better than the rest of us.
I got to know Lewis best personally during those times when we were both working
late or on weekends. One Sunday afternoon, I
heard someone enter the Department office and stuck my head out of my office to see who it
was. “What are you doing here on a
Sunday?” I asked Lewis. To which he
responded by shaking at me the large manuscript he had clutched in his hand: “Strawson! He’s got his footnotes all wrong!” It was that instance that most strongly conveyed to
me the passion that Lewis carried for his work--the passion of a true scholar to get
things right, down to the smallest details--all the way to the end. The incident was significant for other reasons,
too, although I did not realize them at the time. First,
it would be the closest that I would ever see Lewis get to “angry” and the most
disparaging tone I would see him express at another human being. Second, it helped me appreciate later how terribly
painful it was for him to admit to himself and to others that he was unable to continue
the work he so dearly loved and in which he took such pride and pleasure.
Besides his care for precision, Lewis modeled other virtues of the academic life as
well, including support for his colleagues and love of his students. One could always count on Lewis’s attendance
at Department events, and this was especially appreciated by graduate students making
their first public presentations at the weekly Agora.
Lewis always had an encouraging word at such events, and as my own graduate student
experiences with Lewis attested, there was no greater encouragement to a young scholar
than being taken seriously by a distinguished, senior member of the profession.
Finally, Lewis was perhaps the most authentic pluralist I have met in the
profession: he honestly believed to the depth
of his being that philosophy was the conversation of humanity, into which all honest
perspectives are to be welcomed. This attitude
was expressed in his role as Editor of The Library of Living Philosophers and especially
appreciated by the numerous international students who worked with him and who received
his constant encouragement.
Lewis Hahn will always represent to me the very best of this profession I chose to
enter: a passion for truth, without axes to
grind, camaraderie with one’s fellow truth-seekers, the joy of seeing young minds
grow and develop, a reveling in the wondrous diversity of the human experience. His will long remain as one of those voices in my
memory, serving to keep me honest. Indeed, on
several occasions, especially late at night when Faner Hall is
so quiet and empty, I sense Lewis still at work on some project, and in sensing his
presence I feel the sudden urge to check my footnotes more carefully—for fear of
being like Strawson. I
see the schedule of upcoming Agora sessions and resolve not to miss the next
one—after all, Lewis always seemed to find time to attend and thereby show his love
and support for his students. Above all, in
remembering Lewis and feeling his presence in the halls where I work, I resolve to make a
better effort at greeting my colleagues with a smile, a good will, an open mind, and an
open heart. Thank you, Lewis.
*************************
Remarks
for Lewis E. Hahn Memorial Service
Randall Auxier, Professor
Editor
for Library of Living Philosophers
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
I knew
Lewis Hahn from 1987 and have had the unenviable task of attempting to carry on in his
place. As his actual shoes were too large for
my feet, I feel his symbolic shoes must remain incompletely filled by the feet that
follow. We may stand upon his shoulders but we
still labor in the shadow he has cast.
Actually,
I have come to think of Lewis as a sort of sundial in the world of philosophy, as the
light of wisdom moved round him he stood in place and measured it. When the sun shone from the east he looked to the
wisdom of the eastern lands and became an ambassador of West to East of East to West. He proved at length that in him the twain shall
meet. While eastward lies the direction of
daybreak and the future, Lewis was ever building towards the fulfillment of ideals and
expectations –many of which were designed to transcend the generations. He gave to future centuries eleven volumes of the
Library of Living Philosophers and secured the future existence of another six. Lewis always took the time for the young
philosophers around him, lending an ear and offering helpful observation, encouragement
and a kind of respect that the young crave in ways that their elders so often forget. But Lewis believed in the future and recognized
when it was before him. I was only one among
countless young people who took encouragement from Lewis Hahn’s vision of the future. Thus he faced the morning sun.
At
noonday when not even Lewis cast a shadow, with bright eyes, toothy smile, and a single
finger pointed heavenward, he stood among his
fellows even as he towered over them. Lewis
came to be valued as a discerning judge of the qualities that distinguish what is merely
good from what is truly great in the world of human thought.
His contemporaries responded to his judgment; they waited upon it. He had perfected the art of being both generous and
honest in expressing his judgment. What was
genuinely to be praised he freely held up to the light, and what was yet to be
praiseworthy he sheltered in his own warmth. His
was the mentoring touch. His countless
students, those who have felt that great but kindly hand upon their shoulders will know
that the only fit repayment is to follow Lewis’ example. Stand upright among your peers, speak the truth in
such a way as to leave each bathed in its light, and let that noonday sun warm your heart
even as it gives energy to your thoughts.
As the
sun sinks into the west the shadow of the past grows long.
In his later days Lewis represented to literally thousands of philosophers a living
link to days of wondrous achievement and vital thinking.
When I was with Lewis, I was with someone who had known and worked with John Dewey,
Stephen Pepper, Edgar Brightman, and so many others of a
bygone day. These personages were beyond my
reach, but so long as I knew Lewis they were not beyond my imagination; one degree of
separation between his amazing memory and the images in my head; the living past facing
west.
For so
many of us Lewis was the master of context, showing us that the Archimedean point was not
a place to stand from which to move the world, but a place from which to grasp the way the
world already moves. If we would honor him we
must plant our feet and look towards the light.
*************************
Tribute
for Lewis
Robert
Hahn, Professor
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
I have
had the most unusual circumstance of being a member of the department of philosophy at SIU
and sharing the same last name with Lewis. We
are both “Hahns.” On many occasions when I have been
introduced to philosophers, the name Lewis Hahn was so well known, and his visibility had
been so deeply connected with SIU, that it was not unusual to be asked whether I was
related to Lewis. In fact, on quite a number
of occasions, colleagues asked presumptively if I was Lewis’ son! I have checked a variety of family trees, but so
far I have not yet found a link connecting “my Hahns”
with “Lewis’ Hahns,” though I would be both
delighted and honored to find such a link.
In the
course of years of departmental business, whenever there was some confusion over whether
“Lewis” or “Robert” was the “Hahn” in question, I was fond
of identifying myself as “Hahn-the-Younger” or even “Hahn-the-Lesser.”
This response seemed to amuse Lewis.
Seeing
Lewis in the office, or passing him in the hallways, was always a pleasant affair. He
always seemed upbeat and cheerful. That’s the Lewis I knew and the one that I will
always remember. What an inspiration to us! A man who remained devoted throughout his life
to philosophy and its business! It was an honor to have known him and an honor to be
counted among his colleagues.
***********************
Tribute
to Professor Hahn
Joseph
Wu, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy
In the
year of 1960, after completing my bachelor degree in Chinese literature, I ventured to go
to the outside world for exploration. In September of this year, I was given an
opportunity to meet Professor Lewis E. Hahn who was the dean of
Professor
Hahn has been an admirable scholar. His academic interest has been in both
teaching and administration. He is also a top scholar in research, in the
development of pragmatic philosophy, and also integration of East and West. Now, in
my reflection, Professor Hahn is an admirable authority in my academic life.
Without this professor, I would never get into the field of philosophy.
Without this important director, I would not continue to stay in the
************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Elizabeth
R. Eames, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
In all
the years that Lewis and I were colleagues and friends at three different universities,
there was one aspect of his professional life that puzzled and intrigued me, and perhaps
it did you too. That was his desk. We all knew Lewis to be a well-organized and
busy person who engaged in the many activities of teaching, of the philosophy department,
of the university, and of the profession with efficiency and skill. But every office of
his that I ever visited had in it a messy desk piled high with a mountain of books,
papers, journals, letters, announcements, and apparently random pieces of paper. That desk
was an anomaly. Not only did it not fit with the rest of Lewis's ordered
academic life; but also it seemed to have major importance to him. I am sure
that many of the persons who helped him in those offices over the years, secretaries,
teaching assistants, office-mates, itched to sort and organize and "help" him
with that messy desk. However, although Lewis was very open to variations of
office routines (as long as the work got done), he had one major law: DO NOT TOUCH THE
DESK.
Moreover
the desk seemed to have an almost magical quality--in spite of being a mountainous mess it
could yield to his hand the answer to many questions. Let us say you appeared
in the office to ask if he remembered the name of the philosopher who commented on a paper
on Peirce's categories in the American Philosophical
Association meetings of eight months ago. If the name and university association of the
commentator did not immediately come to his mind, Lewis would sit down opposite the
mountain and scan the outer edges of the layers of paper facing him. After perhaps thirty
seconds he would pinch the edges of some of that paper and carefully withdraw the
proceedings of that meeting and give you your answer. You might think of the
desk as a kind of precursor of Google for philosophers. Or you
might meet Lewis in the hall and he would ask you to step in the office for a minute,
saying that he had met a former student of ours in his last semester's trip to
I
could never determine a principle of order that would explain this miracle--was it like an
archeological dig? -- the lowest down was the earliest or was it directional? -- students
to the south, profession to the east, "and the like" as Lewis would
phrase it.
I
cannot answer that question, but I believe I can guess the secret of the
desk. If one were to examine the program of the APA that produced the name
of the philosopher you sought (Lewis would not let you take the program itself away), in
addition to the name of the Peirce scholar, you might find a
handwritten note in the margin such as "by Jan 30, contact committee members and
reserve meeting place for April 28 or 29th." If you had a chance to read
the rest of the paper with the notes about the student on it, you might find a handwritten
note, "send recommendation to Placement Service by Feb 1"or "possibility of
year replacement at JL See Bob". I think the messy mountain was a massive
to do list. I imagine each item in that pile represented some activity--a
letter to be written, a meeting to be arranged, a report to be made, a speech to be given,
a manuscript to be critiqued, a favor to be rendered. With the aid of an
excellent memory and calendar of upcoming dates fixed his mind, Lewis could process the
mess on the desk into the multitude of tasks that constituted his responsibilities,
professional and institutional. The items piled on the desk represented his care for the
individuals, colleagues, students, and friends who were part of those responsibilities. We
might be amused or impressed or puzzled by the desk, but we were all its beneficiaries,
and we feel its absence. But, even more, we miss its owner and operator, our colleague and
friend, Lewis Hahn.
************************
Memorial
for Lewis Hahn
Martin
Lu
Professor
of Philosophy,
It
was personally sad for me to learn of the passing away of Professor
Hahn. But in my memory, his life was brimming over
with joy, love and blessing, for his family, his colleagues and particularly his
students. I was one of his Chinese students from
When
I came to
In
this God-fearing Bible Belt of Southern Illinois, Professor Hahn spread the gospel
not by direct preaching but by love, learning, and exemplified life. For the
rest of our lives, we will all carry this memory in our heart and try to live the way he
does in our own limited way.
*********************
Remarks
for Lewis Edwin Hahn
Memorial
Service
19,
February 2005
George
Kimball Plochmann, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
Many
years ago, Lewis Hahn often introduced speakers at the Philosophy Colloquium that convened
with some regularity on Thursday afternoons at
Many
years ago, there was a fine movie, The Last Picture Show, whose setting was a very small
and by no means prosperous Texas town - wind, sand, partly unpaved streets, a few dreary
stores, a motion picture house where the manager sold the tickets and then took them and
ran the projector. I mentioned this movie to
Lewis, knowing only that he was a Texan, and he replied that he grew up in a town much
like the one depicted. But he respected rural
My
second vignette describes a brief moment in his life in the outskirts of
Now
back to his early history. He took his B.A.
from the
Lewis
had an extraordinary record of service in professional societies, and was also
instrumental in ways that many of us scarcely realized in the obtaining of funds for the
Department here. Despite the impression I may
be giving, however, Lewis was not (to borrow the delightful phrase of William S. Gilbert)
Lord High Everything Else. In a way--a very
human, modest, democratic way--he was persuasive. Aristotle
speaks of the Unmoved Mover, and to avoid possible misunderstanding, I would call Lewis
the Unshaken Shaker--for in his quiet, unobtrusive and ever-so-persuasive manner he
started many of our most fruitful programs, and also stood firm on his principles when
disagreement with him was nearly unanimous and not at all mild. A man for all seasons, as the saying goes, and the
man to have with you in a foxhole.
In
virtually all stages of the history of literature and philosophy he did a great amount of
reading, shedding illumination upon dark corners of the very ancient Presocratics,
the Puritans in
Lewis
taught at the University of Missouri for several years, was a visiting lecturer at
Princeton, and then became an institution at Washington University in St. Louis, where he
chaired the Department of Philosophy for fourteen years, and deaned
the Graduate School for nine, concurrently with some of the fourteen. In 1965 he became Research Professor of Philosophy
at Southern. I shall let others tell of his many publications, and of his significant role
in the exceptionally important publication of the works of John Dewey, a monumental labor,
and brought to the public by the Southern Illinois University Press.
When
Paul Arthur Schilpp resigned as editor of the great series of
which he was the founder, The Library of Living Philosophers, Lewis was persuaded to take
over the position, and he carried through the task of editing two armfuls of daunting
volumes that have been published by
The
selection of a principal philosopher is largely in the editor's hands. The aim is to create a dialogue, hence each volume
of the series begins with an intellectual autobiography, which in some cases has been a
few pages of friendly reminiscence, and in others a book-long disquisition. The editor then has much to do with finding those
expert enough to contribute trenchant criticism or encomium, where each is deserved,
regarding this philosopher. A considerable
number of those experts are dilatory in their submissions, careless in their footnote
references, and again, when the opportunity arises to be dilatory once more, in correcting
the proof sheets. The editor must not merely choose but perfect the contents. The subject philosopher then responds to the praise
and dispraise of the couple of dozen essays, now in proof, and after that, presumably
supplies a complete bibliography, which nearly always must be completed and put in
acceptable form, a joint labor of the editor and helpers. Volumes are many hundreds of
pages, sometimes nearing a thousand.
This
is the form and content originated by Dr. Schilpp and carried
on by Lewis in a total of about sixty years--a gigantic effort, a skilled effort, an
effort of first importance that is being continued.
It is
on this note of triumphant conclusion to a fine life and career that any of us can say how
proud we all are to have known Lewis Edwin Hahn
***********************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Matt Sronkoski
Philosophy
Graduate and
Academic Adviser, SIUC
I do
not usually respond to any of the posts on this list serve, but I think it is important
for me to share my feelings about Lewis Hahn. Given the length of his life and the
extent of his accomplishments, I feel very little sorrow with his passing and only feel
compelled to express how glad I am to have my life touched, albeit briefly, by this great
man. I really did not know Dr. Hahn well. By the time I started graduate
school, he was already retired from teaching and was working on the LLP full time, and
therefore he had few formal interactions with graduate students. But I remember him
as person who modeled the kind of personal stature which is all too often dismissed as cliche or Pollyanna in the academic world. Every time I passed
him in the hallway he looked me in the eye, cocked his head with a smile and greeted me
with such a degree of delight, that it would make my whole day. Whenever he was in
town, he attended the Agora presentations, always offering the sharpest, most constructive
comments. Even when he offered criticism, he was never vicious or smug, but
genuinely delighted to engage in the process and to share his experience and wisdom.
His work ethic was legendary and the LLP flourished under his Editorship. I am very
glad to have had his big life briefly touch my little life. Our philosophy
department is a better place because of Lewis Hahn. Goodbye Dr. Hahn.
****************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Dave
Clarke, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
Well
said, Matt. Lewis Hahn was a truly good man. I never heard him say an unkind
or demeaning word about a colleague to another colleague, and of course never discussed
perceived personal and moral failings of colleagues in front of students. Quite to
the contrary, he was always encouraging and supporting of those around him. I always
admired him for that.
We all owe much to him as the first Director of Graduate Studies and the one
primarily responsible for establishing the graduate program. One of his most
important legacies is the acquisition of the Carus Papers for
Morris Library -- an extraordinary bit of diplomacy.
*************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Eugenie Gatens-Robinson, Professor Emerita
Department
of Philosophy, SIUC
Thank
you Matt and Dave for reminding us of what a treasure Lewis was to us all. I too was
cheered by the twinkle in the eye and the cocked head, as if he was giving a salute to his
fellow philosopher. He was genuinely delighted in the students and in his
colleagues...The pride that this great man took in his colleagues and the students was so
genuine--so truly kind. He knew what everyone was working on. He was
interested in the most generous way. Elizabeth Eames said when
I called her to tell her of Lewis's passing, "it is as if something has been taken
out of the structure of things...he has been there so long and held together so
much."
**************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Hans H.
Rudnick, Professor Emeritus
Department
of English, SIUC
Professor
Hahn was a committed, untiring, and dedicated editor after Professor Schilpp
had to pass the reins to him as his designated successor. He has left his mark on
the LLP by driving it forward in the spirit of Paul Arthur Schilpp
with many volumes featuring the distinguished philosophers of our time. He has performed a
remarkable service to the profession, particularly because of his advanced age.
**************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Stephen Bickham, Professor Emeritus
Department
of Philosophy,
President,
Society for Philosophy of Creativity
Central
Division
Thanks
for the notification about Lewis. He seemed almost eternal. I met him in
1964. He was director of graduate studies and had been a dean at Washington U and
chair at
*****************************
Memorial
for Lewis E. Hahn
Don Mikula
Former
graduate student
Now
teaching an east/west course in philosophy in
When a
man of the character, intelligence and good will of a man like Lewis Hahn is no longer
with us, we are forced to both grieve and remember with immense joy that we were
privileged to 'know the man.' What a very special person he was. It is
impossible to put into words all the right things--to be said about him, yet we want to
acknowledge his greatness. Confucius, a man much like Lewis, held that Jen is the
virtue of a truly good man--A human-hearted and gracious person. If ever a man
attained to that pinnacle of superiority, it was Lewis Hahn. The only other man I
think that would compare to him is Aristotle who was of such outstanding erudition and
philosophical wisdom. I count myself 'fortunate' to have had the privilege of eating
and drinking, and rubbing elbows with such a one! Much love to all who shared
his deep and abiding friendship.