Word: professor
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...subscribed to by Faculty members of diverse beliefs and non-beliefs. In teaching history the lecturer divorces, as much as possible, personal evaluation from more antiseptic exposition; in elementary philosophy the conflicting claims to truth are all laid before the student; in courses on religious philosophy or writing the professor teaches about religion ,and does not attempt to inculcate belief...
Raphael Demos, Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy and Civil Polity, introduces freshmen and upperclassmen to the various doctrines of philosophy in Philosophy 1. For the freshman, especially one who comes from a relatively sheltered religious background, the introduction to such thinkers as Spinoza and Hume may prove novel and disquieting. Demos admits some students may be shaken by an introduction to skepticism...
...actor, speaking for the various philosophers. For the instructor, the role of the believer yields to that of the impartial spokesman expounding the bits of wisdom and insight which each philosopher offers. The values of teaching many philosophical claims to truth thus take precedence over the teaching of the professor's own convictions...
Other areas besides philosophy present similar problems. Conflicting evaluations in history, in psychological theory, in meanings of literary works, present problems for any professor; he must resolve the tension between his role as apostle and his role as expositor. This tension becomes evident in courses such as History 130, "Renaissance and Reformation," in which the problems of historical interpretation are augmented by those of divergent religious claims. Myron P. Gilmore, professor of History, admits that "It is not the business of the historian to inculcate belief." Gilmore does admit in History 130 that he has sympathies, chiefly with More...
Such a view of university teaching is held by Christopher Dawson, Charles Chauncey Stillman Guest Professor of Roman Catholic Studies. Dawson states that "It is healthy to extend examination to one's faith," as the University demands of the undergraduate. Presumably, such a strong Catholic as Dawson sees questioning as leading to a salutary strengthening of faith; if such examination led to disillusionment and apostasy a Catholic might see the student as ill-fitted for the relativism which the University offers...