A Judaic scholar and a philosopher are among the Yale faculty members who will be speaking on campus this week.
'A Jewish Century'
Benjamin Harshav, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature, will offer two lectures jointly titled "1897-1997: A Jewish Century." The two lectures will be delivered at 7:30 p.m. on consecutive Thursday evenings at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, 80 Wall St.
The first lecture, "The Jewish Response to History," will be delivered on Feb. 6. The second lecture, "Jews in Modern Culture," will be delivered on Feb. 13.
In his book "Language in Time of Revolution," Professor Harshav describes the "Modern Jewish Revolution" of the 20th century in terms of a transformation of Jewish national culture. In these lectures Professor Harshav will explore whether the extraordinary contribution Jews have made to the shaping of modern culture can be construed as distinctively Jewish.
The lectures are free and open to the public. For information, call 432-1134.
Kant on Non-Rational Nature
Allen W. Wood, professor of philosophy, will present the Hans and Geraldine Frei Lecture on the topic "Kant on Our Duties Regarding Non-Rational Nature" on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 8:30 p.m. in Ezra Stiles College dining hall, 19 Tower Pkwy. The talk is free and open to the public.
Professor Wood, who came to Yale recently from Cornell University, is one of the world's leading authorities on Kant. He is the author of many books and articles on Kant, Hegel and other philosophers, and is co-general editor of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. He is editor and translator, with Paul Guyer, of Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," forthcoming in this series, in addition to recent editions of Kant's "Writings on Religion and Rational Theology" and Hegel's "Elements of the Philosophy of Right." Professor Wood's most recent books are "Hegel's Ethical Thought" and "Karl Marx."
The Hans and Geraldine Frei Lecture was established by the Fellows of Ezra Stiles College when Hans Frei retired as the college's third master (1972-1980). For further information, call 432-0560.