Franklin High School - Post Yearbook (Portland, OR)

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s -l -' t 'N at WHAT IS SCIENCE DOING TO REALITY? The first in a series of five lectures sponsored by the Franklin Forum was given by Marvin Levich, Professor of Philosophy at Reed College, on No- vember l, 1963. Dr. Levich's topic was: Willarapidly increasing scien- tific world reduce all reality to meas- urable quantities thus rejecting evi- dence furnished by intellectual per- ception--philosophical perception? Dr. Levich said that what frequently happens when we ask this question is that we have in mind certain kinds of things or realities which we consider to be very important. By reality then, we mean certain things in the world that we consider of ultimate impor- tance. People sometimes use reality in this moral sense. The real things are the things that are worthwhile, the thingsthat we want. So the ques- tion, What is science doing to re- alty? becomes the question, ls sci- ence going to establish that the things I think are ultimately worthwhile are really worthless? or, Is science going to establish that all the things Ire- gard to be important in the universe are either unimportant or, in fact, meaningless? Dr. Levich went on to say that there was no fear of this ever happening. The reason for this is that science and philosophy approach the subjects of reality and the universe in two dif- ferent methods, and the ideas in one area cannotbe used to disprove things in the other. Dr. Levich said this in effect when he said: There is nothing which science can ever establish which would show that any of our claims are incorrect, but I want to say the opposite, too. . . l'm only saying that science is not the in- strument in terms of which these are to be affirmed or denied. ll 7 Dr. Marvin Levich The Franklin Forum was fortunate to obtain as its first speaker Dr. Marvin Levich, Professor of Philosophy at Reed College. Dr. Levich, outstanding in field of philosophy, adequately chal- lenged the intellectual capabilties of the members of the Forum. He has been at Reed for eleven years. Before this he attended Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and completed his graduate work at Columbia Uni- versity. He has written a book, due to be released by Random House, titled Studies in the Philosophy of Criticism.

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Mr. Francis Murray Allyn Orme Miss Cecil McKercher Mr. Marvin Flitcroft Miss Mary Jane Terry Mr. Herbert Mohn Virgil Libke Marga San-iugarte Tom Nal-:ata Jorja Guthrie The Franklin Forurn, An Experiment in Ideas, was initiated inthe 1963-64 school year. The Forum was an en- deavor to create an intellectual at- mosphere among the students. This was accomplished by a series of lec- tures given by men, each of whom is outstanding in his individual field. A committee comprised of five fac- ulty members and five students chose the topics and contacted the various speakers. The students participating in the Forum were selected by their teachers and each member received a card which admitted him to all the lectures. The main benefit of these lectures was perhaps not the actual content, but rather the intellectual stimulus they provided the students. FRANKLIN FORUM STEERING COMMITTEE 6

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David Foster, assistant Professor of Art at the University of Oregon., was the speaker at the second Franklin Forum on November 22. Mr., Foster's topic was: Contemporary art, a reflection of philosophy? In answering this question, Mr. Foster pointed out that the largest gain from a Work of art is received by the artist who created it, and not by the viewers. I-Ie also wanted to emphasize the process. It is not that the product isn't important, but we sometimes examine the result to check the process. Art differs from literature because a painting, for in- stnce, prou-ays life in a simultaneous manner, whereas, a novel portrays it in asequential form. ln this respect, ideas can be transferred quicker through art. Again placing emphasis on the process, Mr. Foster said to remember, The way to something probably is as important as, or more important than, the place.