Guest column: We celebrate philosophy professor Richard Sherlock’s retirement
After thirty-seven years of teaching and scholarly work in philosophy, theology, history and ethics at USU, Philosophy Professor Dr. Richard Sherlock, Ph. D. celebrated his tenure at USU last Spring at a gathering held in his honor with students, colleagues, friends and family at the Caine Family Life Center at USU pending his retirement.
As Dr. Sherlock’s first free Fall in over 37 years approaches, he says, “I look forward to working on my writing project about hope. I am also looking forward to travel and retreat opportunities, and I hope to enjoy more time with loved ones…. — My nest has always been here in Cache Valley, and I will be keeping office hours in Old Main.”
At the Caine Center gathering, former students and colleagues shared the fondest of memories of working with Dr. Sherlock. Student Greg Watts remembers, “It was Dr. Sherlock who turned me on to philosophy…. I remember him prowling up and down the aisle to engage students in critical life issues about Christian and moral philosophy, constitutional law and medical ethics with the Socratic method. He left us bloody and bruised and it was glorious! We felt enlightened, valued and respected….”. Student and protégé Brian Soderquist says, “Dr. Sherlock changed my life. I want-ed to be like him, his warmth, his great questions, his great book analyses and recommendations. His friendship and mentorship shaped my life and the way I think. I remember his patience, kindness and generosity with the time he would spend thinking critically with small groups of us while walking, talking and thinking about philosophy through the ages.. .”.
Colleague Harrison Kleiner shared memories of “Richard’s passion for his students — his “paper chase”style of instruction that encouraged metanoia and philosophical conversion, his intense passion, glory, even mania for the life of the mind and ideas and his memory of everything he ever read…”.
Some of Dr. Sherlock’s great book recommendations include Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle; The Dialogues, and The Republic by Plato; The Teacher and The Confessions, by St. Augustine; Moral Conscience through the Ages, by Richard Sorabji; and The Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Some quotes from these great thinkers – On passion for one’s profession, the ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle once said, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work”. This time-less truth brings to mind Dr. Sherlock’s passion in sharing his deep love and knowledge of philosophy, theology, history and ethics, and his knack for making the best recommendations for further reading tailored to the existential question of a given student. Those who know Dr. Sherlock know that his walking and talking while think-ing teaching style is in the spirit of the ancient Greek philosophers. This began with Socrates, the Founder of Western moral and ethical philosophy, and Father of the Socratic Method upon which our modern university system is based. Socrates passed his “peripatetic” teaching style on to his student Plato, who is perhaps most famous for his dialogues and his metaphysical theory of forms. Plato and passed this peripatetic style on to his student Aristotle, who seemed to grasp the brain/body science of it . Aristotle claimed, “walking facilitates talking – and, presumably, thinking…”..
On teaching and learning, St. Augustine of Hippo once said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page…”. In the spirit of St. Augustine, Dr. Sherlock has enjoyed travel and lecturing at home and abroad, and has published on topics from from bio-ethics to phenomenology. He also compiled a priceless reader his students with select excerpts from the published works of many great thinkers through the ages that shows how genuine teaching consists of exposing students to both conventional and timeless wisdom, taking students out of their comfort zone, and sparking an internal dialogue, so students must see things for themselves and make the truth their own.
On critical thinking, St. Thomas Aquinas once said, “Wonder is the desire for knowledge.” Dr. Sherlock understands the joy and sense of empowerment that sparking one’s sense of wonder affords. He often demonstrated this in the class-room, how this may begin in solitude, then continue with integrating knowledge with others to ignite the synergy of the faculties of the mind, body and spirit, to illuminate a new perspective and to reveal the intrinsic nature and joy of teaching and learning. Richard reminisces in a reflection he wrote back in the 1970’s en-titled Over the Mountain saying, “….In the spring of 1970 I completed my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and History at the University of Utah. That March, I set off over the mountain and across the country in a rattletrap car, head-ing for Boston, MA. I had been accepted at the University of Iowa, Boston University and Harvard Divinity School for a Master degree, after which I would pursue a Ph.D. program in what I passionately wanted to study which was philosophy and theology. I have never regretted the trip over the mountain that took me out of my comfort zone, and the intellectual journey it represented. This experience of leaving home to pursue my academic future got me away from and the safety and the familiarity of the Northwest. I needed a wider world to grow in intellectually, emotionally and spiritually….”.
Richard’s earnest study, prayer, scholarly work and the passing of his beloved wife Margaret who shared his wonder and awe in discovering the beauty and the wisdom of the ages through Richard’s work, would lead to Richard’s deeper study of the Christian Tradition.
Richard’s wisdom, guidance and rich contributions to the study of philosophy, theology, history and ethics that he continues to share in his lectures, publications, book circles and over coffee or a beer at a favorite local haunt, continue to be ever more enlightening and inspiring. His philosophy fellows thank him and congratulate him on this next part of his journey.
Amy Gomez is a freelance writer and USU course auditor. Gomez moved here from San Diego, California to set up an Aggie House for future generations who may want to attend her Grandpa William Stoddard Geddes’ alma mater.
— amyg.carlsbad@gmail.com