George Grant Public Intellectual Philosopher Alone by Louis Greenspan 1

George Grant: The Public Intellectual and the Philosopher Alone by Louis Greenspan         George Grant was never businesslike even when conducting business. Petitioners, faculty, administrators and students who came to his office were greeted at the door and when inside were treated to a lively commentary on the artworks that decorated the wall above the shambles on his desk. His favourite was a replica of Raphael’s School of Athens. This painting, set in a large hall framed by lavish colonnades, depicts what looks like an ancient cocktail party. Small groups of men are standing around chatting, some of them examining geometric objects, others, notably Plato and Aristotle, are embroiled in friendly controversies, while still others are sitting on the stairs in solitary contemplation. Grant’s exegesis was always the same. The people in groups are scientists, but the philosophers, he beamed, “are those who are alone”         Some of Grant’s admirers might be puzzled that a figure as public as George Grant would be celebrating the “philosopher alone”. Grant himself was a model public intellectual. His prose is lucid, eloquent, reader friendly and free of technical jargon. His most celebrated articles were published in journals such as Canadian Dimension, a political magazine; his most famous volume Lament for a Nation was written and published for the common reader. His radio voice was Churchillian but warm, and contrary to his many warnings that technology is an enemy to memory, are still preserved on the web. His lectures on Nietzsche, a philosopher whose writings, he once told me, should not be made available to the democratic masses, were delivered as CBC radio’s popular Massey lectures.         To be sure the public intellectual must always protect his credentials as a philosopher alone. Otherwise he risks being exposed as a party hack or apologist for the government. Grant never had to worry about that. Like Bertrand Russell he kept jumping his own ship. One never knew what he would say. I was once on a panel with Grant and Gad Horowitz when, in reply to a question Grant criticized the prophet Jeremiah, Horowitz and I were speechless. I had never heard anyone criticize Jeremiah. On another occasion Grant chided me and others in my company for ridiculing the Russian Czar. Again I was speechless. It had never occurred to me that criticisms of the Russian Czar might get me embroiled in controversy. Finally, he once began a departmental meeting by announcing, with emotion that he yearned for the end of the world. (I don’t remember whether this was entered in the minutes.) Grant was a public intellectual who had his own mind. But the mixture of public intellectual and philosopher alone was more often than not, problematic. Often the philosopher alone would take flight and leave the public behind-without them knowing it.   [ >>>>> FORWARD ] [  <<< Back to Special Inserts  ]        Share |  [Distillate © HA&L + Louis Greenspan |  {from the Greek bios} -- the course of a life.] [This article is sponsored by the Hamilton Public Library & Bryan Prince Bookseller:  proudly announcing the new Short Works Prize for writing.]