Remembering Joe Tussman

Joseph Tussman, an emeritus professor of philosophy at Berkeley, died last week.  Joe was a friend.  For many years, I had the privilege of almost daily discussions with him about politics and current events.  My institute and his department are both housed in Moses Hall on the Berkeley campus so we were ideally situated to meet and talk to discuss the day's headlines.  Engaging Joe in dialogue about issues in which we agreed or disagreed was always a civilized encounter because of Joe's intellect, character, and his style. I left these discussions  with great admiration for Joe  but also with my understanding enhanced.  Joe's passion for a liberal arts education and the broad depth of his understanding of Western civilization was alway apparent.  Again and again he helped me see how issues could and should be seen in a broader context.  Joe taught me the importance of what the Greek classics had to say about power, vanity, greed, and, most importantly, the tragedy and possibilities of the human condition. I will miss him.  Joe reluctantly was a guest on Conversations with History and I highly recommend the interview. You can read the transcript or watch the video at http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Tussman/tussman-con0.html