I received word this morning that an old friend, Páll Skúlason,
passed away last Wednesday. I met Páll
through our shared interest in the philosophy of education. He was an Icelandic philosopher who served
for eight years as the Rector of the University of Iceland. Susie and I first met Páll and his wife, Auður Birgisdóttir in Paris, and later traveled to Metz to visit
them at the home in which they spent a good deal of time. Later still, we visited them Iceland, and on
one occasion Páll arranged for me to give a talk to the Philosophy Department at the
University of Iceland [I spoke about Kant's ethical theory.]
Páll was a tall, open, extremely friendly man with a deep interest in the
developments taking place in European higher education. He and I shared our distress at the
corporatization of modern universities, and at one point, before Iceland's
economic meltdown, even talked about forming a Center for the study of higher
education. He and his wife were
unfailing gracious, warm, and welcoming to Susie and me, and I looked forward
with great anticipation to our meetings.
I have formed very few friendships in the larger academic world outside
the university in which I happened to be teaching, and my friendship with Páll
was very dear to me. He was only sixty
-nine when he passed away. I shall miss
him.
On June 9, 2007, I posted a meditation on some things Páll told me about
trying to do philosophy in Icelandic. As
a tribute to him, and because I believe it is of great and lasting importance
for how we do philosophy, I shall repost it today following this memorial note.
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