Toward an Authentic Community - Dr. Janice C. Eldridge (c. 1992)
Item Information
- Title:
- Toward an Authentic Community - Dr. Janice C. Eldridge (c. 1992)
- Description:
-
This document titled “Toward an Authentic Community” is the Humanics Lecture that was given at Springfield College by Distinguished Professor of Humanics Dr. Janice C. Eldridge on April 22, 1992. Eldridge starts off by saying that she is going to focus on Humanics from the perspective of the community and the individual and the role of Humanics in that relationship. She explains that she got the title of her lecture, “Toward an Authentic Community,” from a prayer by Reverend Childs. Eldridge quotes a few of the past Distinguished Professors of Humanics, such as Arsenian, VanDerbeck, and Zettl. Eldridge then goes on to present some of the recommendations for national reform and the possible implementation of these suggestions at Springfield College. She introduces these recommendations in the form of questions. The first question is, “Who says that I am not paying attention?” Eldridge states that we must take responsible action if anything is going to change and that there must be individual participation in the small democracy at the College. Second she asks, “What do you mean – A discursive society?” In this section Eldridge discusses the importance of communication. She states that a community as small as Springfield College, it is critical that we talk to each other. She believes that the reason people do not talk to each other is because they do not have the heart to do it, due to a matter of trust. This leads into the third question, “Are you actually asking me to trust again?” Eldridge states that without trust we can never become a discursive society and without free and open communication, we cannot effectively attend to our problems and commit to their solution. Eldridge concludes by stating she dreams of “a community where Humanics rules, an authentic community where individuals attend to each other with compassion, whose citizens discourse in perfect safety, where personal ambitions are tempered by concern for the common good.”
- Creator:
- Eldridge, Janice C.
- Date:
-
April 22, 1992
- Format:
-
Documents
- Location:
- Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
- Collection (local):
-
College Archives Digital Collections
- Series:
- Distinguished Professor of Humanics Collection
- Subjects:
-
Humanics
Springfield College
Springfield College--Faculty
Springfield College--Alumni and alumnae
Eldridge, Janice C.
- Places:
-
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
- Extent:
- 5 Pages
- Link to Item:
- https://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/6813
- Terms of Use:
-
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
- Publisher:
-
Springfield College
- Language:
-
English
- Notes:
-
Humanics is a word that has a special meaning in the history and philosophy of Springfield College, as well as in the college’s motto of “Spirit, Mind, and Body.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines Humanics as, “the subject or study of human affairs or relations, especially of the human element of a problem or situation as opposed to the mechanical.” In 1962, Dr. Glenn Olds, President of Springfield College at the time, began to wonder why this name was given to the intended philosophy of the college by Dr. Laurence Locke Doggett, Springfield College’s first full-time president. Olds acknowledged that the practices of the faculty were in large part consistent with the Humanics philosophy, but he believed that a more self-conscious application would improve chances of its continuity and survival. To ensure this, a Distinguished Professor of Humanics position was created at the college, first filled by Dr. Seth Arsenian from 1966-1969. The purpose of this position was to catalyze a renewal of consciousness in the philosophy. This was done by annually mandating the Distinguished Professor of Humanics to give a Humanics lecture on the definition of Humanics and what the concept means to them. Arsenian started this tradition in 1967 with his speech titled, “The Meaning of Humanics,” in which he described the concept as a set of ideas, values, and goals that make our college distinct from other colleges and make commitment and unity toward commonly sought goals possible.
- Identifier:
-
Eldridge_Toward an Authentic Community
