Conversations with an unrepentant liberal

the long version

In 1946 Julius Seelye Bixler presented three Terry Lectures at Yale University. He later published these as CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNREPENTANT LIBERAL. In these used the Socratic dialog format to describe the philosophy which guided his life. He also showed now liberal philosophy forms the basis for liberal religion and the liberal arts. The arguments made by the protagonoists -- Simmias and Cebes -- ring just as clearly in today's debates between liberals and conservatives as they did in the 1940's. Bixler was president of Colby College (Waterville, Maine) during 1942 to 1960, serving through wars and peacetime. During his tenure the college moved its physical campus from downtown Waterville Maine, to a new campus on Mayflower Hill, overlooking the city. At the same time Colby moved from being a provincial school into the front ranks of liberal arts colleges, where it remains sixty years later. The 1995 reprint of this book includes three commentaries on three aspects of his life -- philosopher, college president, and member of the academic community.