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A Difficult Legacy A difficult legacy Largely ignored by contemporary thinkers and students, John Anderson is unquestionably one of the “greats” in Australian cultural history, writes Creagh Cole (MA (Hons) ’86 PhD ’96) philosophy ast year marked the 50th to write the cultural history of this city its participants with a form of anniversary of John Anderson’s without examining the influence of apprenticeship and training in critical Lretirement from the Challis John Anderson. thought. Chair of Philosophy at the University. Within only a few years of his John Anderson is unquestionably Since his arrival in 1927 until his arrival, Anderson – always politically one of the “greats” in Australian retirement in 1958, Anderson radical and ready to offend – had cultural history. Yet his philosophy provided Sydney students with a become a “theoretical advisor” to the is largely ignored by contemporary distinctive and powerful example of Australian Communist Party. There teachers and students. Such what critical philosophical inquiry were calls in State Parliament for him an evident failure in Australian could and should be. to be shipped back to Glasgow. He intellectual history might in part be It was not unusual for Scottish abandoned all ties with the socialist explained by the incendiary impact philosophers to be selected to educate movement in later life, but Anderson of his teaching on the next generation the colony’s teachers, ministers became a major figure of resistance of teachers and philosophers. By and lawyers when Anderson was to commercially-directed vocational the early 1970s, barely 10 years after appointed in 1926. What was unclear education at the University, a resolute Anderson’s death, the sole indication at the time of his appointment, defender of academic freedom and a of Anderson’s existence at the however, was the extent to which he rallying opponent of intellectual and University was the sombre, slightly could provide the safe pair of hands cultural censorship in Australia. depressing blue and green portrait required for the guidance of this city’s Anderson changed the nature of by William Dobell hanging in the excitable youth. A brilliant graduate intellectual debate in Sydney at all University Library. As a student at of Scottish philosophy with a firm levels. And Sydney would provide a that time I don’t recall Anderson’s grounding in philosophical tradition, congenial home and opportunity for name being mentioned in a single Anderson rejected the idealist uplift Anderson to develop his philosophical university course I attended. That of his predecessors, presenting instead position in relative isolation from the was, of course, a time of intense a philosophy that was relentlessly rest of the philosophical world. political and administrative turmoil on unsentimental, even pessimistic. And If Anderson’s isolation denied campus. Indeed, barely 10 years after he presented his unique brand of him the points of comparison which Anderson’s death, his old department modernist realism through intensive may have made his philosophy more had once again been the subject of studies in the history of philosophy interesting and appealing to later critical debate in State Parliament and provocative references to the students, it did tend to preserve a way and would eventually split into two works of such diverse figures as of practising philosophical inquiry entirely separate departments. Some Hegel, Marx, Lenin, Freud, Socrates, denied to students elsewhere. This of his old students considered the Heraclitus, Nietzsche, Sorel and was, arguably, the great value of intensity and intractability of some of James Joyce. His lectures would an Andersonian apprenticeship in these disputes in some sense the final prove to be an exhilarating experience philosophical inquiry. legacy of the professor. Nonetheless, for his Sydney students. Anderson believed in the need for by the 1970s students of philosophy To many, he is the most influential the establishment and maintenance of at Sydney had become ignorant or and controversial philosopher a school of philosophy able to pursue uncertain of Anderson’s existence, ever to have worked in Australia. its activities and inquiries wherever much less his importance. His students include some of the they would lead. The practice of Among academic philosophers most significant philosophers of independent inquiry was a precious Anderson’s work has become an their generation, including the achievement and inheritance, the historical curiosity, an example of internationally-recognised D M support and defence of which was a form of inquiry belonging to an Armstrong, John Passmore, J L the primary justification for the very earlier metaphysical age with little Mackie, and Eugene Kamenka. existence of a university community. relevance to our more sophisticated But Anderson’s influence extended For Anderson, philosophy was not philosophical concerns. At best well beyond the academy to the about reconciling various points of Anderson evidently provided his more professions of journalism, law and view or accommodating one’s position famous students with an undeniable Professor John politics, and to that shifting bohemian to whatever fleeting trends were ability to point to deficiencies in the Anderson. Courtesy the University of cultural force known as “the Sydney current at any given time. A tradition linguistically – and scientifically – Sydney Archive Push”. In fact, it would be impossible of philosophical inquiry presented oriented philosophies of their time. 32 SAM Winter 09 It would be perhaps most importantly it has published a series of books drawn impossible from lecture notes delivered over to write the three decades. These books provide some sense of the John Anderson cultural lecture room. SAM history of this city without examining The titles currently the influence published include: of John On Greek Philosophy (1928) – Anderson introduction by Graham Cullum On Modern Philosophy: Hume, Reid and James (1932-35) – edited by Creagh McLean Cole These students found that they also left a large collection of personal On Political Philosophy: Green, were unable to communicate to their papers, writings and the family library Bosanquet and Socialism (1941-45) colleagues the sense of excitement which have been an invaluable – edited by Creagh McLean Cole and importance that they had found resource for Anderson scholars, in the lectures of their teacher. Even bibliographers and biographers. On Metaphysics (1940s and 1950s) contemporary realist philosophers In the School of Philosophical and Space Time and the Proposition in Australia who might be expected Historical Inquiry the position of John introduction by Mark Weblin and to respect Anderson’s legacy cannot Anderson Senior Research Fellow was George Molnar, and Space, Time understand the influence Anderson established to conduct research into and the Categories, introduction by exerted. Many are frankly baffled the life and works of John Anderson D M Armstrong). by the evidence of Anderson’s as one of the University’s most academic publications, collected distinguished teachers and scholars. Further information: most conveniently in his Studies In Sandy Anderson’s bequest has given Empirical Philosophy of 1961. These the University an opportunity to re- The John Anderson Archive is at writings are terse and difficult for evaluate and more fully understand http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ modern students. one of its great intellectual figures. anderson Contemporary philosophers at The current John Anderson The SUP titles are at their most charitable suggest that Archive is an online archive of his http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ a true appreciation of Anderson’s published and unpublished writings anderson/sup.html philosophy required personal contact and is a direct outcome of successive with the man. It is, then, of some research fellows, George Molnar, Sydney University Press is importance that we have at least Mark Weblin and Creagh McLean http://sup.usyd.edu.au/ indirect access to the professor’s Cole. It is, however, the realisation lecture room, with a large collection of a project initiated by Anderson’s of lecture notes held in the University successor, D M Armstrong, who Archives and a growing number of declared the need for just such an lecture series preserved and donated Anderson Archive almost 40 years ago by students of the 1930s, ’40s and in 1971. ’50s. When Anderson’s son Alexander Drawing upon this online (“Sandy”) Anderson died in 1995, he archive Sydney University Press has left to the University a bequest for published several books over the past the continuing study and publication decade, including Studies In Empirical of his father’s lectures and notes. He Philosophy. But most recently and SAM Winter 09 33.
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