Arthur Szathmary, philosopher and 'profoundly generous' teacher, dies at 97

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

Arthur Szathmary, a Princeton University professor emeritus of philosophy, died of natural causes July 1 at his home in Princeton, N.J. He was 97.

Over the course of his nearly 40 years at the University, Szathmary's work probed the philosophical significance of art and the relations between art and philosophy as modes of understanding human experience. He also concentrated on the principle of aesthetic criticism of art and was intrigued by how art enables people from different cultures to understand each other. He retired from Princeton in 1986.

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"His courses, especially the undergraduate courses he taught, attracted large groups of students, including, among others, the painter Frank Stella," Nehamas said. "He was an infectiously enthusiastic teacher, with high standards, but always profoundly generous, encouraging and full of good will."

Szathmary's impact on his students often lasted long after they left Princeton. In 2008, Gregory Callimanopulos, a member of the Class of 1957 and a noted art collector, donated the first Picasso painting to enter the Princeton University Art Museum's collection, "Tête d'homme et nu assis ("Man's Head and Seated Nude&quot , in honor of Szathmary.

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S37/34/87Q70/index.xml?section=topstories

A sad loss.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. May he rest in peace. n/t

[Sweeney]

2. What a waste

it is to teach philosophy to people of that age group who have obviously learned already how to figure things out. It should be taught in the first grade before anything really makes sense.

What kind of art was he considering with such passive roles as expressing the human experience and enabling cultural communication. If art does not improve humanity it is rather pointless. There is so much of humanity that cannot be expressed through reason, and the key to changing humanity and the way we think is through our emotions. When people feel differently, they think differently. Look at the profound effect of Christian feeling on the thoughts of Augustine. Without the emotions where would reason lead anyone.

Thanks...Sweeney
And sorry for your loss.

[JuliaFond]

3. Arthur Szathmary

I did not know about him, I will read about him!