A Dialogue between Richard Rottenburg and Richard Bernstein on Critique and Hope

Jeffrey Goldfarb

The discussion following Richard Rottenburg’s Heuss Lecture did not fully explore the insights and challenges of the lecture. Nor were the questions and concerns fully articulated and evaluated. I particularly had a sense that Richard Bernstein asked a key question and it would be good for Rottenburg to consider it more deeply. I also sensed that they were talking past each other, that they shared key common judgments and concerns, more than they realized, and that their differences needed further exploration, potentially providing insights that neither of them recognized. With that in mind, I invited them to join me and continue their debate more informally. At the center of their discussion was the idea and practice of critique, and the role it plays in the academy and beyond. Both of them, notably, are interested in this beyond. -J.G.